Oswego High School Host Club
by the real jinxauthor
Summary: Thomas Smith sets out to become the best Tamaki Suoh cosplayer that Kana-Kon has ever seen! But before he can win the grand prize, he needs to collect the rest of his host club...
1. Sections 1&2: Tamaki and Kyoya

Section One: The Making of An Otaku

Tall and slender with soft blonde hair gracefully framing his pale blue eyes, Thomas Smith was the envy of every guy in school. Those boys who made fun of his rather feminine beauty were just secretly jealous of his influence over the girls, who for some curious reason were actually in raptures over his delicate charm.

In addition to good looks, Thomas also had the exceptionally good luck of being both a good athlete and student. He was a member of the city's junior soccer league and currently held the record for the most goals scored in a single game. He held a 4.0 GPA easily, hardly having to try to ace his AP courses. His French teacher was thrilled at his convincing accent and the natural skill he possessed in conversation.

At home, he was usually in the music room, practicing the piano at a level most professional musicians aspire to.

In short, Thomas Smith was exactly like the sort of heroes he read about in shojo manga.

* * *

Thomas first became interested in the genre when he was still in middle school. In one of the desperate spells of boredom that frequently overcame him, he picked up one of his little sister's books - a volume of Fruits Basket. From that day on he was hooked. The adventures of shojo heroines filled him with all the highs and lows that a particularly sensitive soul can possess. He empathized with their broken hearts and courageous struggles against backstabbing friends, he rejoiced with them when they won the man of their dreams. But more than the girls featured in these stories, he was interested in their men. In them he could see bits and pieces of himself. He could relate to them more than he could characters portrayed on TV, horrible men who beat or cheated on their wives and girlfriends. He wasn't anything like those guys. But the princes of a shojo manga? They were something to emulate!

* * *

It's no wonder that such an otaku of shojo would have already participated in one or two conventions. At the moment, we find our hero looking up the times and information for the annual Kana-Kon, held in a city near his own. He loved Kana-Kon, and had been there twice before with his best friend, Kyle. They had spent most of their time in the vender's room together, searching the artist alley for prints or hunting Pocky. Their evenings had been a blur of raving and glow sticks. Basically, they had spent their time at Kana-Kon as any fun-loving Japanophiles would.

This time was different. Thomas was looking up this year's rules for the cosplay contest. He had never tried it before, but he thought he would give it a shot this year, especially since he had the perfect character in mind…

Ten Thousand Dollars. They were giving out a grand prize of Ten Thousand Dollars to the best costumed group.

Well, Thomas no longer needed any more motivation to convince him that this was the year to take up cosplaying. Despite the fact that he had never created a cosplay costume before, he knew he could win. He had put a lot of thought into which character he would become. A good cosplayer chooses someone they already kind of resemble - someone they could pull off naturally. Thomas had taken his height and body into consideration. His hair and eye color. His natural charm. His skills with the piano and in speaking French. Who else could he be but Tamaki Suoh of Ouran High School Host Club?

He knew he would win. There was no doubt of it except… Who ever heard of a host club with only one host?

* * *

Section 2: Enlisting Kyoya

Oswego East was a fairly large school. It had to be, considering there were only two high schools in the city, and the population was not a small one. The building consisted of three stories stocked with classes, a large gym, a small practice gym, the theater, and a large commons area that also served as a cafeteria. This was Thomas's kingdom. Or so he liked to think of it.

Beside every cocky high school prince there is a slightly less cocky, more down to earth best friend. This place was filled by Kyle Ore. Kyle and Thomas had bonded over a shared love of soccer. Like Thomas, Kyle was tall, handsome, and intelligent. He had brown eyes behind his glasses, and carelessly tousled auburn hair that only became more disarrayed when Thomas ruffled it as he sat down.

Kyle ignored this familiar gesture, choosing only to look up once he had finished a chapter of the book he was reading, "Hey Tom."

"Kyle," Thomas nodded his greeting, "I have some news."

"About what?"

"Kana-Kon."

"Already?"

"They just posted the date yesterday. We've still got five months to prepare."

"Jesus, five months? Remind me to pre-register when the time gets a little closer."

Kyle started to turn his attention back to his book when Thomas drew him back to the conversation, "But good cosplayers begin preparing as soon as possible! We don't want to create a rushed and shoddy product!"

"Cosplay? You're doing that this year?"

"Correction. We."

Kyle took a moment to process this, then shook his head. Thomas had learned that this was not a motion of refusal for Kyle. It simply meant that he was sorting his thoughts and wondering what his friend was going to get him into next. When he shook his head it was like he was trying to shake away the images that came to mind every time Thomas mentioned a new scheme.

"Okay, what did you have in mind?"

"Ouran High School Host Club."

"A host club?" Kyle said with some disgust. Unlike Thomas, Kyle was not a shojo fan. Due to his insomnia, he spent a lot of time staying up late and watching anime on Adult Swim. His favorites included Bleach and Samurai Champloo. He was also somewhat of a gamer - but beyond that his interest in Japanese entertainment ended. He heard the words "host club" and immediately associated it with either big breasted women or slightly homosexual looking men. Neither sounded like something he wanted to cosplay as.

"It's not what you're thinking!" Thomas quickly said, guessing from his friend's tone what track his thoughts were taking, "It's a shojo manga about an apathetic heroine who gets roped into working for this club of extremely rich and attractive boys!"

Kyle opened his book again.

"No no! It's really good! Trust me! And we're just like two of the guys! It'd be so cool, Kyle! Kyle! Kyle! KYLE!"

"Okay! I'm listening! Stop yelling you crazy… Tell me more about these guys."

"Well, there's Tamaki Suoh. I'd be him. He's the king of the host club. Oh, but it's not like a real host club! It's this thing he started at school with some friends. They entertain girls who go to school with them in this abandoned music room… That sounds dumb, but it's not. Anyway, I'd want you to be Kyoya Ohtori. If Tamaki's the king then he's like the shadow king. He's the real brains behind the operation. And it's perfect for you because you've already got his glasses and you're a brainy guy and my best friend."

He made sure to lay on the words "best friend" thickly, hoping to guilt his buddy into joining his cause.

But Kyle wasn't going to give in so easily, "And what sort of costume would I be wearing?"

"Just the school uniform. It's a blue blazer and black slacks - nothing ridiculous, I promise. And you won't have to provide your own, I'll take care of it."

"Uh-huh. Couldn't we just do something for Naruto instead? I've always wanted to cosplay as Kakashi."

"Narutard? You can't be serious! That costume would be much harder to pull off than a school uniform!"

"Well… If it's just this once…."

"We'd have to dye your hair."

"… Excuse me?"

"Kyoya's hair is black. We have to be convincing if we want to win!"

Kyle's drifting attention snapped back instantly, "Win? Win what?"

"The cosplay contest of course!"

"Oooh no! You didn't say anything about a contest! I won't do it."

Thomas was horrified, "But you love the cosplay contest!"

"I like watching other people do it! But I'm not getting up on stage and making a fool of myself!"

"But it's ten thousand dollars, Kyle!"

"Huh?"

"The grand prize this year! Ten grand!"

Kyle fell silent at this. His personal pride was apparently no match for the seduction of money. He and Kyoya had that much in common.

"Not bad for just wearing a blazer…" he muttered.

Thomas could feel his immanent victory, but a quick glance at the clock told him that the bell would ring for the start of class in two minutes. He wouldn't see Kyle again until lunch. Knowing that there was no way he'd be able to focus without an answer, and not wanting to give Kyle any time to reconsider his offer, he went down on one knee.

"Tom? What are you doing?" Kyle gawked at him, clearly aware that a bunch of the students were starting to stare at the two of them.

Thomas took his hand and grasped it firmly so that Kyle wouldn't be able to pull it away. Some students were starting to snicker and a few girls were unabashedly exclaiming, "Oh my gawd! What is he doing?"

"Tom, stop it. Get up now."

"Kyle, I'm asking you as my best friend. Will you be the Kyoya to my Tamaki?"

"Yes yes alright! Now will you let go of my hand, you bastard?"

Tamaki jumped up and pumped his fist into the air in time with the class bell. To him it sounded like victory.

"You won't regret this Kyle! Kyoya!" He shouted as his friend gathered his backpack and began walking away, "We'll be the best host club ever! We just have to find the other hosts!"


	2. Sections 3&4: The Twins

Section 3: Gemini

"That's them over there," Kyle said as he gestured towards to figures on the court.

Thomas had been concerned to hear that the twins he needed were on the basketball team, but he felt easy now. They were tall and athletic, but no taller than him or Kyle. In order for the host club to be completely accurate, they would have to be shorter.

Henry and Keith Hawkins were an ideal pair. Identical twins by nature, they were easily told apart by their different hairstyles. Hair, however, could be changed. Other than that they were indistinguishable from one another. Both boys had attractive appearances, brown hair, and gold-green eyes that strongly reminded Thomas of the Hitachin brothers that he hoped to see these twins emulate.

The basketball coach was just calling the end of practice. As the other players made their way to the locker room, the Hawkins boys headed toward the bleachers.

"What's up, Kyle?" Keith asked, tossing his head to remove the brown bangs that fell right back over his eyes, "You said you needed to ask us something?"

"Not me. Him." Kyle pointed to Thomas, his over-enthusiastic friend who was now standing up.

Thomas struck a pose he had been practicing in his room for weeks and began his pitch, "Gentlemen. I have a proposition for you that, should you accept, could make us all a bit richer and is guaranteed in any case to enrich your lives with a wonderful cultural experience you won't soon forget!"

"Sounds… Um, intense." Henry offered as Thomas moved into his next stance, jumping elegantly yet forcefully to the hardwood floor in front of the brothers, "Did you mention money in there?"

"I most certainly did! A cash prize to the best costume or costumed group! Ten Grand!"

The twins exchanged a glance. Both of them had heard of Smith's bizarre behavior, and Keith was still burnt over his girlfriend dumping him to pursue the blond spaz. Part of him was pleased that she, like every other girl in school, was unsuccessful. Another part still resented Thomas for being the cause of his girl troubles. As far as Henry was concerned, Thomas could do whatever queer things he wanted to do with his time. It was none of his business. But he knew his brother didn't like him, and that affected how he saw things as well.

"You said costumed," Henry said, picking up on the same detail as his brother, "What are you talking about?"

"I can assure it it's nothing weird! It's for the cosplay contest at Kana-Kon."

"And… What exactly is a Kana-Kon?"

The moment to sell his favorite event had come, and Thomas faithfully launched into the speech he had planned alongside his posturing, "It's a Japanese entertainment convention. It's an annual event like many others across the country where fans of Japanese culture, manga, anime, and video games can come together and purchase merchandise and participate in different panels according to your interests. In addition, there is always a rave and the favorite of all fans - the cosplay contest."

By now, having said it all in one breath, Thomas had to stop and gasp for a moment. The twins took the opportunity to interject comments of their own.

"That's all well and good, but we aren't fans of anime."

"We like video games, but we're not interested in dressing up for your amusement."

"Besides, we know the kind of stuff you're interested in, and I doubt we'd be dressing up as anyone from our favorite games. Maybe Final Fantasy, but I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those getups."

"And we hardly know you at all. Kyle's cool cause he's in a few of our classes, but we really don't care to be seen with you, Smith."

"Who did you want us to be anyway?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" Thomas said, having ignored every other sentence that was just hurled at him. He quickly whipped out a poster, seemingly from nowhere, that displayed the full Ouran High School Host Club in all their glory, surrounded by a border of red roses.

"You would be the twins, of course. That's them on the left. The costume would just be the blue jacket and tie, you see. Black slacks shouldn't be a problem either. I would ask you to let your hair grow out so that I could style and dye it myself when the con gets closer. You would need to be absolutely identical."

Keith studied the picture and shook his head, "Dye our hair? This color?"

"Well, yes. You need to be the very picture of the twins."

"It's orange!"

"Well, it's not really orange. I like to think of it as orange-brown. A burnt orange. Maybe a tawny."

"It's definitely orange."

"Hey now! Lots of people have orange hair. Gingers for example."

"Gingers have red hair. Hence, redhead."

"Oh come on! Have you ever actually seen a redhead with truly red hair? No! It's a shade of orange. But 'orange head' doesn't really roll off the tongue so…"

""No way in hell."" The twins said in unison.

That really got Thomas worked up, "See now! I knew you'd be perfect! That's exactly the sort of answer Hikaru and Kaoru would give! You even said it together! Can you finish each others sentences as well?"

But Keith and Henry were no longer listening. They had started to walk away from Thomas. He knew he would have to resort to a different persuasion tactic.

"Fine! I guess you don't want to hear about all the girls you could get from dressing up for a mere three days!"

That stopped the brothers dead in their tracks. They were, after all, teenage boys, and the simple mention of girls had piqued their interest.

"Say, what's that about, then?" Henry asked.

"Tell them, Kyle," Thomas said with a snap of his fingers.

"It's true." Kyle looked up from his book for the first time since the conversation started, "The place is crawling with girls who are suckers for a pretty face and a convincing costume. They physically jump on guys they like."

"They jump them?" The boys shouted, excited by the idea.

"It's called 'glomping' and it's common con policy." Thomas said, "And that's not all. The girls dress up, too."

"That's right. Imagine short skirted school girls and any scantily clad video character you can imagine."

"And don't forget the catgirls."

Keith took the bait this time, "Cat girls?"

Kyle smiled at the recollection of last years con, "I myself have pictures willingly taken of a girl with fur strategically placed to cover the bits that would constitute as exposure if revealed, and not much else."

By now, Keith and Henry were doing their best to maintain some of the higher faculties of rational human beings, but their baser instincts were practically drooling.

Thomas knew he had them right where he wanted them, "And you could be the most popular guys there, as characters from a very popular manga among females, and possible winners of the cosplay competition."

The brothers exchanged another look, which was enough for them to understand each other perfectly.

"When is it?"

"A good five months away. But I like to start preparing early, so things aren't rushed and crazy like the first year I went. Plus, we'll be able to get good rooms in the hotel where the con is hosted."

"Hotel? How many days did you say this was gonna be?"

"Three. We'd be there Friday afternoon and check out Sunday."

"Well… We have to make sure it's okay with our parents, but if they say it's okay then we'll go."

"Great!" Thomas shook hands with them to seal the deal. Then waved them off enthusiastically as they went to the locker rooms, "And don't forget to practice finishing each other's sentences! And talk in unison!"

* * *

Section 4: Periwinkle

Thomas folded down next to Kyle on the bench, his charm exhausted from trying to convince the boys, but feeling very happy, "As long as we get a Mori and a Hunny we'll be all set!"

"I foresee another problem." Kyle said, closing his book and pointing to Thomas's Host Club poster, "The color of the jacket."

"What of it?"

"Well, when you said blue, I imagined something darker. That color… What would you call it?"

"I'd say it's a periwinkle."

"It's a bit gay."

Thomas bristled at the insult inflicted to one of his favorite mangas, "It's not gay. Nothing about shojo manga is gay. It's emotional and deep." "Uh-huh. What about that comic with the two guys I found stashed under your bed?"

"That was a Yaoi manga and I only bought it because I was curious and it was recommended to me! I've never read one since. I still don't know what you were doing looking under my bed anyway…"

"I dropped a quarter and it rolled under there. Anyway, what about the twins, then?"

"Henry and Keith?"

"Hikaru and Kaoru."

"What of them?"

"I did my own research on the manga and anime. You don't think I'd go into this scheme blind, did you? I have no problems with the character I'm supposed to portray, but what do you think the Hawkins twins will say when they find out about the Hitachins… 'special relationship' within the Host Club."

"Oh stop it, Kyle," Thomas said defiantly, "The twins aren't really incestuous. I think. I'm sure Keith and Henry will understand once they've seen the anime."

"And do you intend to have them act that part of their characters out at the con?"

"Of course."

Kyle couldn't help but grin at the idea, "I'm sure that will go over well with them."

Thomas nervously got to his feet, "Well… We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's focus on finding our Takashi Morinozuka."


	3. Section 5: Mori

Section 5: A Very Cooperative Mori

Tyler Morrison lay sprawled on the grass outside of Oswego East High School. He was very content in his patch of sunlight, enjoying the freedom that the final bell brings and wondering if he should just take a nap before heading home. But no, there would be no time for napping. Tyler Morrison was far too popular to go unnoticed.

"Morris! Lazing around as usual? You should come with us to Juice Stop!"

Tyler waved languidly at the co-ed group of acquaintances, "You guys go on ahead. It's way too nice out to be sitting inside."

"You aren't going to come with us?" a plaintive female voice cried.

"I could bring you back a smoothie!" added the hopeful tones of an underclassman.

"Hey, that sounds pretty good!" Tyler shouted back, suddenly shooting into a sitting position, "Do that! I want something with banana!"

"Uh… Do you want me to pay?"

Tyler broke into a huge grin, one that had earned him a number of friends and admirers, "Yes, please!"

The group moved on and Tyler flopped back down into the grass. He watched the clouds and decided what their shapes most resembled. That one was a rabbit. The big one next to it was a bear. They were best friends. The wispy cloud looked like a broken vase. That really low cloud looked like Thomas Smith. Oh, that's because it was Thomas Smith.

"Hello there! Enjoying our school's lovely lawn? I myself have never really considered this a lounging area before, but you do make it look very comfortable. Yes, very picturesque…"

Tyler stretched his arms and folded them under his head, "Feel free to join me."

To his credit, Thomas didn't hesitate a moment before accepting the invitation and flopping right next to his new friend.

"I'm Thomas Smith."

"I know."

"Oh really? I'm afraid I don't know you."

"The girls like you."

Thomas gave a self-satisfied grin, "Oh, well, yes I suppose I've heard something like that before. And how do they feel about you?"

"Huh?"

"How tall would you say you are?"

"Um, six-two? And still growing, dude."

"I see… And is black your natural hair color?"

"Nope. My natural color is green. I just dye it black to fit in."

"I see! Fascinating…"

Tyler chuckled, "Kidding, Smith. Only kidding."

"Oh… Well, the reason I asked is… You see, I couldn't help but notice how tall you are. You're the very picture of him.

"Who?"

"Takashi Morinozuka."

"Who?"

"He's a character in a manga."

"What's that?"

"Like anime only book form."

"So… like Sailor Moon?"

"Yes!" shouted Thomas. Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he shot to his feet again. There he remained, standing imposingly above Tyler and pointing down into his face, "Only it's not Sailor Moon I'm referring to. You look just like Mori-kun from Ouran High School Host Club!"

"That's great! Why does that matter?" Tyler asked as he climbed to his feet, a smile stuck to his lips.

"Well, I'm trying to get a group together to go to a convention for anime. You look like one of the characters in that group. I saw you sunbathing out here and I knew you just had to be Mori! There's no one else here like you!"

"Don't be so sure. There are plenty of tall guys. You're pretty tall yourself."

"But I can't be Mori! I'm Tamaki!"

"Oh, right, sure. Of course you can't be Mori. That's absurd."

"I know, right!"

"Absolutely. Clearly I have to be Mori. I mean, if you're Tamaki and all."

"Yes, yes! That's what I'm saying exactly!"

"Sure. Just one question."

"Go ahead."

"Who's Tamaki? Your alter ego?"

Thomas threw his arms into the air dramatically and cried, "He's another character! And he's the king of the host club! He brought everyone together to entertain girls and have fun adventures! He likes to help people and he's very enthusiastic about whatever he's doing and he takes everything very seriously and he's charismatic and…"

"And you're in love with him?"

"What? NO!"

"Oh sorry, just the way you were going on about the guy, I thought…"

"He's fictional."

"Doesn't mean you can't be into that sort of thing."

"It doesn't matter," Thomas said with an aristocratic wave of his hand, "I just wanted you to go with me to the convention is all. And go as Mori."

"Yeah sure I'll do it."

Thomas was still and silent for once. He hadn't expected this to be so easy. After all the work to get himself acquainted with this strange boy, he thought that convincing him to go to the con would be a whole new project.

"You will? Just like that?"

"Yeah, it sounds fun. I mean, you look really excited about it."

"Yes but… Don't you want to know who else is going?"

"Not really. I'm sure I'll have fun either way."

"It's going to cost money. There's the registration fee and the hotel room…"

"I have a part time job. Speaking of which, I'd better get going. I need to get home and change for work. Here."

Tyler grabbed Thomas by the arm, rolled up his sleeve, and hastily scribbled his email address with a sharpie onto the shorter boy's skin.

"Just send all the info to me."

"Hey! Is that a permanent marker? This isn't going to wash off for days!"

"Weeks probably. Later."

And Tyler Morrison left. He spent the rest of his day working at an old folks home, playing chess with Mr. Tetsuya and never giving a moment's thought to Thomas Smith, anime, or the underclassmen who came back the school with a smoothie that Tyler would never drink.


	4. Section 6: Hunny

Section 6: Honey Not So Sweet

"Welcome, welcome! Please come in. Kyle's already here, as you can see. We're just waiting on a couple more people."

Keith and Henry Hawkins stepped reluctantly over the threshold into the Smith residence. The boys, being from a wealthy family themselves, were not overwhelmed by the house's grandeur. The grand piano next to the French doors did nothing to impress them. The marble tile of the entryway seemed everyday. The expensive carpets and leather sofas created a decent interior at best, and the large, plasma screen television was just a matter of course.

""Hey, Ore,"" the brothers greeted Kyle in unison, then settled themselves on the couch next to him.

Kyle closed the book he was reading, the first volume of the Ouran High School Host Club manga, and tossed it onto the coffee table, "Thank god you two are here! I didn't know how much more of that crap I could stomach."

"Don't throw it!" Thomas cried, snatching up the book to check for damage, "And it's not crap!"

"The only thing redeeming about that story is Kyoya," Keith said with an air of finality that even Thomas couldn't argue against.

"Is that it?" Henry leaned closer toward Thomas, trying to get a good look at the cover, "Is that the, uh, anime thing we're dressing up as?"

Keith took the opportunity to interject, "I've been meaning to ask about that. I thought this con thing was still months away."

"Well, yes it is."

"Okay… So, why invite us here now?"

"But of course I would! I only wish we had more time to prepare!" Thomas exclaimed, his eyes shining with the anticipation of many adventures to come, "You guys will be a great Hitachin pair, but it's not good enough to look like the characters! No! You must BECOME THEM!"

Keith and Henry exchanged a skeptical glance before deciding to take the bait, ""What are you talking about?""

"Look at Kyle!" Thomas pivoted to point at his best friend, "Not only will he look like Kyoya once his hair is dyed, but he acts exactly as Kyoya would. He has the personality to pull off the look!"

Thomas turned his attention back to the twins. He observed them in silence for a moment, crossing his arms and tapping his forefinger on his lips thoughtfully, "With you two the act is especially important. Not only will you be asked to pose in character for pictures, but when we're onstage for the costume contest, we need to have some sort of display for the audience. They love that kind of stuff. We do want to win don't we?"

"Well… Yes…"

"But… Why is it so important that we have a good act?"

"You'll see," Kyle said, a mischievous smirk resting on his lips.

"Oh yes, they will see! That's why you're here today. To start your training, I'll simply have you watch the anime. Then you'll have a feel for the story and your new personas."

The Hawkins brothers could see that Smith was really excited about this plan. In a way, they started to get interested too, though Smith's enthusiasm did scare them a little.

"Okay," Henry said, resting back against the plush pillows on the sofa, "Pop this thing in and let's see it."

"Snacks first!" Thomas cried, dashing from the room, then shouting over his shoulder, "Kyle! Get the DVD started, okay?"

Kyle silently did as his friend asked, pausing only to scrutinize the case that the anime came in, "I don't think we're going to like this. There's a lot of pink."

"Nothing wrong with pink." Keith said.

Kyle shrugged and slid the DVD into its slot, "Suit yourself."

The boys watched a few previews for other animes while listening the sounds of Thomas's snack making in the kitchen. Their host shouted that they could start the first episode, but only if they paused it after the opening theme. They were still waiting on two more guests, after all. So the boys sat on the sofa, trying to be cool and manly as they ignored the pink, rosy options screen and selected the first episode. Thomas walked into the room with a silver tray of gourmet treats just as the Host Club theme sang "_kiss kiss fall in love!"_

""No way in hell,"" the twins said, getting to their feet and moving toward the front door.

"Wait wait!" Thomas slid in front of them to block the way, "We haven't even made it past the beginning!"

The brothers looked back at Kyle, who was still sitting composedly and preparing to pause the rose-laden image on the screen.

""Okay, if he can do it, so can we.""

"But I swear, Smith," Henry added, "This better start getting interesting real soon, or you'll be missing one twin."

"It'll be good I promise! Just… Where are those guys?"

"Who exactly are we waiting for, Tom?" asked Kyle.

"My cousin Michael and Tyler Morrison. They're the last of the Host Club. The final pieces of my shojo puzzle!"

"Wait, you roped Tyler Morrison into this mess?" Keith said, genuinely impressed.

"I'm really not surprised." Kyle commented quietly, "He's an impulsive sort of person. This sort of scheme is really right up his ally."

"But he is certainly late. I wonder what could be taking him so long. Can he not find the place?"

"Vry don't oo just call 'em?" Keith mumbled through a mouthful of cream puff (one of Thomas's specialties, prepared specifically for this gathering).

"I can't," Thomas said, demonstrating his uncanny ability to understand any sort of gibberish, "I only have his email. I don't know how to reach him by phone."

"Why didn't you just say so?" Kyle said as be brandished his iPhone. He quickly pulled up Tyler's number and was soon speaking to him while the other boys just watched in silence. When Kyle had finished his call with "I see. Yes. Good bye," Henry hazarded a question.

"Uh… I didn't know you and Tyler were friends, Ore."

"We aren't really."

"Then… How do you have his number?"

"I have everyone's number." Kyle's gaze dared anyone to challenge his statement. No one wanted to.

Thomas, by now used to all of his friend's eccentricities, leaped next to him on the sofa, crouched on the cushions in excitement, "Well, well! What did he say? Is he on his way?"

"Actually, he had forgotten all about it and he's not coming. Those were his exact words."

"Whaaaaaaat? But… But… But he said he would! Kyle," Thomas pleaded as he pulled on the sleeve of his friend's shirt, "Kyle, I emailed him and he said he'd be here. I even sent him a reminder and he said he was coming for sure! He was really looking forward to it!"

"I don't know what to tell you, Tom!" Kyle said, getting annoyed, "But he isn't coming. He's with some other friends today!"

Thomas was completely confused, not to mention embarrassed. What could be the explanation for this? Had Morrison really forgotten all about him? How was that even possible? In times like this, he turned to his muse. What would Tamaki Suoh do?

Thomas rose from the couch slowly. Silently, he passed the twins and glided across the room to a nearby corner. There, he crouched again, folding his arms around his legs and resting his head on top of his knees. There he remained, making the corner suddenly seem darker and a lot gloomier.

"Is it just me… Or is Smith giving off this really depressing aura," Henry asked, suppressing a shiver.

"Hm…" Kyle murmured, making quick observation, "He seems to be implementing a classic Suoh trick. I can only guess that it appears frequently throughout the manga. Impressive…"

The boys continued to watch their host. As Thomas's emo corner grew more and more depressing, so too did their moods. Kyle spoke again.

"Okay, I admit, he does have me kinda worried. I haven't seen him use this behavior before."

""Well snap him out of it, Ore.""

"I can't! I don't know how!"

The three were about to bail and leave Thomas to his disorder when all at once the doorbell rang.

"Great, what the hell is it now?"

"Probably the other guy who's supposed to be here."

"Smith's cousin?"

"Yes," Kyle said. He had taken responsibility since Thomas still showed no signs of moving to answer the door. Despite the amount of time he spent around Thomas and his family, Kyle had never met his cousin Michael Hoffman. He was surprised, on opening the door, to see a short boy with the same blond hair as Thomas who couldn't be more than eleven years old.

"Hi, Michael. I'm -"

"Kyle, yeah, I know," Michael said, pushing past the older boy. He was still wearing his school backpack, a pickachu keychain dangling from the zipper. He tossed it and all its contents to the ground, pausing only to kick off his shoes and remove his DS from the depths of his bag.

"Tom's told me about you already. You're like his best friend since the womb or something? That must be it cause you're all he ever talks about when we're together. Kyle this and Kyle that. 'Hey Mike,'" Michael said in an exaggerated, feminine voice, "'This one time Kyle and I raced our bikes down devil's ditch! Have you ever done that, Mike? Let's do it now!' It makes me sick. Like, doesn't he have any other friends besides you?"

Michael finally pulled his face away from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon long enough to see Keith and Henry standing nearby.

"Oh…"

"Hey, don't look at us," Henry said, "We're no friends of Smith."

"Really?" Michael said with a smirk on his face, "Then what are you doing in his house? Planning on stealing the piano? I think it'd be a little hard for a couple weaklings like you to manage."

""Weakling?""

"Watch it, kid," Keith said, grasping his brother's arm to prevent him from hitting a child, "You're not so big yourself."

"Yeah, right. Like you are really gonna do anything. Now, where's my useless cousin?"

Kyle motioned to the corner where Thomas remained unchanged from a moment before, "There. Perhaps you know of a way to… Snap him out of it."

"Geez," Michael said, placing his game on the coffee table and creeping toward Thomas, "What'd you guys do? Insult his shoes? Call him fat?"

"Uh, no. He just got sad cause Tyler decided he wasn't coming to watch this show with the rest of us."

"Oh I see. Boyfriend dumped him," Michael nodded sagely, "I know what to do. He needs to be distracted from his depression by an opposing stimulus."

"O…kay? So what do we do? Try to make him happy?"

"No. We scare it out of him." Michael thought for a moment then snapped his fingers, "Got it! Wait here."

He tore up the stairs to the second story bedrooms. Awkwardly, the other boys waited, all the while listening the sounds of things being tossed around a room and slid haphazardly across the floor. It sounded like Michael was trying to teach a hippopotamus to do back flips. Finally, he can running down the stairs, jumping over the last few steps and sticking the landing. In his hand he clutched an old teddy bear that was wearing a bow-tie.

"Hey, Tom!" He shouted, grasping the bear now with both hands, "Look! I found Mr. Bearson! I think I'll tear him in half!"

Thomas didn't seem to have heard him. He remained with his back to the room, filling his corner with darkness and despair.

Michael shrugged, "Suit yourself."

There was the slightest tearing sound, only a few threads snapping horribly, and Thomas Smith was on his feet.

"Mr. Bearson! NOOO!"

The cousins toppled to the floor together as Thomas struggled to wrestle his beloved bear from Michael.

"He has a teddy bear? Wow, that's… um…"

"Don't even talk, Henry," Keith said, "You had that stupid stuffed elephant all through junior high until mom accidentally donated it to the salvation army."

Michael pushed himself to his feet, "Whatever, guys. The point is my cousin's back in action. Now hand me one of those cream puffs and let's watch this thing."


	5. Section 7: The Twins

Section 7: Brotherly Love?

"Is the coast clear, Henry?"

"Looks good from here, Keith."

It wasn't long after basketball practice had ended when Henry Hawkins crept out of the locker room followed closely by his brother. Ignoring hygiene, they had skipped the showers and changed quickly to try and slip out early.

"It doesn't look like he's out here," Henry said, keeping close to the bleachers.

His brother refused to take a step further into the glaring lights of the gym, "That jerk has been on our case all week. I wouldn't be surprised to see him here again."

"Yeah, well. Maybe he's finally given up."

"I NEVER GIVE UP!"

Thomas Smith stood his ground at one end of the gymnasium, posing in all his glory. The twins turned to run, their aim being the exit leading outside and away, but those doors were blocked by Kyle and Thomas's little cousin.

"What the hell? You guys are gonna help him?" Henry shouted, skidding to a halt at half court.

"Of course. Unlike you, I at least have a reasonable character. And I'd like to win the prize money," Kyle said, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"But you saw the anime! He can't really expect us to… to… It's just wrong!"

"Give it up and play your role, crybaby! I've got no complaints!" Michael replied without a hint of sympathy, "It shouldn't be too hard for guys like you to be a couple of fairies."

Only a few days earlier, after all the excitement had died down at the Smith residence, the small party of boys had finally settled down to watch Ouran High School Host Club. All was right and fine with the world. Thomas's guests were even getting interested in where the storyline was leading, taking an interest in their own characters. That is until the Hitachiin duo demonstrated their brotherly love gimmick for the first time.

""What the f***?"" Keith and Henry had screamed, jumping up from the sofa.

"What? Is there a problem?" Thomas had asked them, sincerely concerned that something was wrong with the snacks.

"Is there a problem? Dude, those guys are gay!"

"Yeah! And… That's his _brother_!"

"You didn't tell us there's incest in this, Smith!"

"You're sick!"

"Demented!"

"High as f*** if you think we'd agree to something like this!"

Thomas had flushed red with mixed emotions. He wasn't sure where to begin, "Watch your language in front of Mike."

"Nothin' I haven't heard before," Michael grinned, eagerly watching the drama unfold both on the television screen and off.

"Oh… Well, still. And they aren't… I mean I know what it looks like, but… Don't go yet!"

Keith and Henry had moved to the door and grabbed their jackets, ""We're not doing this, Smith. We aren't queer.""

"Neither are they! Listen! It's an angle they play to entertain the girls! All of the host club members have one. See? Hunny's like a cute little boy, and Tamaki's a prince! Mori is silent, mysterious, and handsome…"

"And the twins are gay? That's their angle?"

"No! No! Their just extremely affectionate to each other… It looks weird cause… Well, it's supposed to be. Like… A forbidden romance. No, wait! That's just for the club! They're really just good friends! They're not really…"

But it was too late. The Hawkins brothers had left without another word.

Since that day, Thomas had pestered them as often as he could. But the twins were also doing their best to avoid him. Now it seemed that they were trapped.

"You can't force us to do what we don't want to do, Smith." Keith said.

"This is harassment," Henry added.

Thomas's face was a mask of determination, "I just wanted to demonstrate something to you guys. And to help me, I brought along some friends. Ladies!"

The lovely girls of Oswego's varsity cheer squad walked into view behind Thomas. They were still dressed in the athletic shorts and sports bras from their own practice. Giggling and chatting away, they surrounded Thomas like a harem.

"What's going on, Tom? Why'd you ask us all here?"

"Yeah, not that the break isn't totally appreciated. Oh, hey Keith."

"Keith? Oh, hi guys!"

Keith and Henry waved hesitantly at the girls they recognized from class, all the while wondering what Thomas was up to.

"Ladies," Thomas said, commanding the attention of the entire crowd with a single flip of his blond hair, "I simply asked you to come in for a well-deserved rest. Though I must admit, my motives aren't entirely without selfishness. I had hoped to enjoy your company for a while, and allow my friends to bask in the honor of your presence."

He reached out to select one girl, the cheer captain, and gently caressed her cheek. The twins thought they were going to gag at the stream of sickening flattery coming from Thomas's mouth, but then they just stared. The girls seemed to be falling for it! They were all laughing and telling Thomas not to be dumb, yet they all jostled closer to him, blushing and finding excuses to touch his arm or stroke his hair.

Thomas merely smiled at them all, cooing a few more compliments here and there. Then he turned back to the twins and his friends at the other side of the gym. He had a look of smugness on his face that the brothers had never seen before.

"Do it, Mike!"

Michael left his post at the exit and ran across the basketball court toward his cousin. He stopped abruptly in front of them all, saying nothing. Instead, he offered a warm smile and lifted his honey-brown eyes to the closest of the girls.

"Girls, this is my cousin, Michael." Thomas said, giving his protégé a wink.

"Hi," Michael said, beaming with childish innocence, "It's so nice to meet all of you! You're way prettier than cousin Tom said. Wanna play?"

The girls immediately began to coddle him as well, saying how cute he was and asking what grade he was in. Thomas was getting more attention too, as the girls were just dying to know if he was babysitting his cousin today, and saying just how adorable they thought he was.

Henry and Keith were thunderstruck. This whole scene went against everything they believed true about how to act with girls. Cute little boys? What teenage girl really cared about that? And all the ridiculous flirting… It wasn't subtle or charming at all! And yet as they stood there, rooted to the floor with their fascination, the girls invited Kyle to their ranks, and soon the whole group was laughing and talking. They seemed to be breaking in factions, some girls conversing casually with Kyle, others squealing around Thomas, a few showing Michael their cheer moves and asking if he was in little league.

One cheerleader happened to glance over at Keith and Henry again. She smiled and waved at them, but she addressed Thomas, "Hey, Tom. What are they doing? Aren't they gonna come hang with us too?"

Some of the other girls joined in her observation, "Yeah, why are they just standing there? It's kind of weird."

"Of course!" Tamaki exclaimed, ready to enact the final piece of this game, "Mike, why don't you convince Keith and Henry to come play with us?"

"Okay!" Mike shouted in a voice higher pitched than what was normal for him. He jogged casually to the twins, for all the world looking as if he was a happy child wanting simply to play with his new friends. But when he was close enough to the brothers, his demeanor changed. Before either of them could react, Michael charged at the boys. He leaped through the air with the form of someone who clearly had experience in the martial arts. Keith was the unlucky recipient of an amazingly forceful kick to the stomach. He crumpled to the floor.

"Keith!" Henry was horrified. He whipped around to catch Michael and pummel him to dust, but the boy had already run back into the safety of the female throng. They were all trying to sort out what had just happened.

Henry was pissed beyond caring about his audience, "You little bastard! What the hell are you trying to pull?"

"Henry…"

Keith squirmed on the ground, clutching his abdomen and trying to catch his breath. Henry dropped onto his knees next to him, palms on the floor. He crouched over his twin as if protecting him from further harm.

"Are you okay, Keith? What should I do?"

"Henry," said Keith through gritted teeth, "Promise me we'll kick that kid's ass later. I don't care if he is in elementary school."

"Of course!" Henry said, relieved to see that his brother wasn't severely hurt. He carefully helped Keith to his feet.

"Keith? Are you alright?" one of the cheerleaders was jogging toward them now.

She wasn't alone. A few of the other girls had broken away from the pack.

"I guess Mike likes to play a little rough, huh?"

"Are you seriously okay? Do you need a nurse? I think she went home already…"

"Should I see if Coach Harrison is in his office?"

Keith gave assurances that he was fine, that he had just had the wind knocked out of him. Henry began to receive compliments on the care he showed for his brother. He made Keith lean against him for support as they moved out of the gym, carrying both boys' backpacks himself. Both brothers were suddenly getting a lot of attention from the concerned girls. They kept saying how sweet Henry was being, and asking if there was anything they could do to help.

Thomas, now devoid of a single female to fawn over, stood with arms crossed next to Kyle and Michael.

"Brilliant work everyone. Our work here is done."

* * *

That night, Henry crawled into bed feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. Practice had been hard enough, but the fiasco afterward was just awful. He had been so freaked out after seeing Keith fall like that. Worse, after they had finally escaped the cheerleaders and drove home, Keith was silent for the rest of the day. He barely spoke at dinner, and then he went to his room and remained there until Henry decided to go to sleep too. Henry was worried. Maybe Keith was hurt more than he was letting on.

He closed his eyes and tried not to think about it anymore. Keith would be fine in the morning. He focused on sleep. It waited for him on the edge of consciousness, dark and warm and welcoming. Sleep promised sweet oblivion, free from Thomas Smith's crazy anime schemes and psycho children who delivered flying kicks to people's stomachs.

Henry was starting to drift off, but a noise woke him. The door was opening slowly, creaking slightly then stopping. Henry was too old to be scared of the boogeyman, but he did wonder what was going on. Was his mom checking on him as she still sometimes did before bed? Or was it dad looking for the pair of tennis shoes that Henry was always stealing from him? Whoever it was, he could hear them step softly across the carpet toward his bed.

"_It's mom_," Henry decided, making a mental note to tell her that he didn't need tucked in anymore. But then he felt extra weight added to the bed. Someone had crawled in with him.

Henry's breath caught. "_The hell…?"_ he thought. Then he remembered Chance, the family dog.

"Chancy?" Henry said, rolling onto his back and sitting upright.

The form next to him wasn't Chancy. It was Keith, situating himself as comfortable as possible on Henry's small bed - appropriately referred to as a "twin mattress."

"Keith? What are you doing? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Keith snickered. He grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him back down on the sheets, then he rolled over on top of Henry, his hands pressed into the mattress to hold himself up.

Henry's eyes were about to pop out of his skull, he had opened them so wide. Keith was reminded of a fish. He tried not to laugh. He had to remain serious.

"K-Keith?" Henry stammered. His mind flashed inadvertently to the Host Club anime, to two twins with a questionable bond. He tried not to think any further, "W-What are you doing?"

"I was just thinking," Keith said, keeping his voice low, "Well… Maybe Smith's onto something with this whole incest thing."

Henry was really starting to freak out. His brother was a little too close to his face. He began to squirm, "You're joking, right? It's really not funny, Keith. Get off."

Keith leaned his body further into Henry's, his face inches from one that matched his own, "Are you sure that's what you want?"

Henry froze. His panicked eyes stared into his brother's, searching desperately for some sign that would make sense of what was happening. Then his expression shifted. Keith noticed every subtle change in his mood and smiled. Henry's expression had become blank, but his eyes were blazing flames.

"You are such a dick, Keith."

Keith started laughing then, he couldn't hold it back anymore. He rolled easily to the side as Henry pushed him away, nearly falling off the bed in the process.

"I know," Keith said, wiping away a few tears of mirth, "But oh my Jesus, you should have seen the look on your face!"

Henry nearly shouted, but then he remembered how late it was and his parent's bedroom down the hall. His voice came out in a horse whisper, "Well, what was I supposed to think? After how weird you've been all day? And then throwing that gay anime in my face? What were you thinking?"

"Just that… Well, maybe it's not impossible for us to pull off. We'd just have to prevent ourselves from laughing. Trust me, that part is really, really hard."

Henry just gawked at him, then he gently punched Keith in the arm, "Hey, you aren't being serious are you? This is just a joke too, right?"

But Keith shook his head, "No joke. I was just giving it a try." He smiled at his brother, trying to reassure him, "Nothing funny. It's just… Well after that kid kicked me today… I mean after I recovered… I couldn't believe all the attention we were getting. I mean, we've always had girlfriends and stuff, but never did we have so many girls giving us attention at one time! I think Smith is really on to something."

"So… Are you saying you want to join him? You actually want us to act like… Like we're…"

Keith reached out, cupping his brother's chin in his hand and smiling at him, lids half-closed, "C'mon. It's easy. Just acting."

Henry stared at his twin, then mirrored his pose, tilting his brother's chin toward him, "Okay. Acting."

"See what I mean?" Keith said, jumping up and clapping his brother on the back, "You're already a natural. I'll call Thomas in the morning and tell him we're back in."

"Ugh. I can't believe I'm actually going to do this," Henry said, falling back on his pillow, "You're evil."

"I know."

"He better not expect us to take things too far. I'm not kissing you."

Keith laughed again softly, "If you don't keep your voice down, mom and dad are going to think there's something wrong with us."

"What? We're just talking two brothers acting gay for each other, all so some puff with a thing for girly cartoons and too much time on his hands can get his rocks off. What's so wrong about that?"


	6. Sections 8&9: Mori, Hunny, and Renge

Section 8: An Impossible Person

Tyler bounded down the stairs of his house, snatching a Poptart from the kitchen and bursting out the door. The sky was bright blue and the sun shone proudly in a cloudless sky. It warmed his face with an uncanny Autumn heat. The cold would come soon, and the slight breeze outdoors was already chill. Tyler loved this season.

He bit into the Poptart, relishing the taste of artificial cherries. He had a feeling that today was going to be a very good day.

That is until he saw Thomas Smith standing on the sidewalk. Tyler smiled and waved, Thomas didn't. He acted as if he wasn't happy to see Tyler. Weird.

"Hey, T.S. What a coincidence seeing you here this fine morning." Tyler said. He held the Poptart in his mouth for safekeeping and began stretching. Jogging was an important part of his daily regimen. Without the promise of an exhilarating run and a crisp autumn morning awaiting him, it would be nearly impossible to get Tyler out of bed.

Thomas watched him go through the various preparatory motions with a frown, "It's no coincidence. I came here to see you."

Tyler finished his stretching and removed the Poptart from his mouth, a chunk of it was missing. He chewed on this piece meditatively, swallowed it, and said, "Really? How'd you find out where I live?"

"Kyle told me."

"Kyle Mason?"

"Kyle Ore."

"Never heard of him."

Thomas crossed his arms, his frown deepening, "I thought you said you were coming to my house last weekend. What happened?"

Tyler inhaled trough his clenched teeth, "Yikes, awkward." He wrapped his arm around Thomas's shoulders, "Walk with me, Smith."

"Okay…" Thomas said, pulled along by the older boy.

"You see, a man has to have his priorities. I really would have gone to your place. I would!" Tyler repeated himself, seeing the look of skepticism on Thomas's face, "But you see, some other plans came up. I had a responsibility to attend them. My manhood demanded it. My sense of honor commanded me."

"I see…" Thomas was slightly in awe, "So… What did happen? What did you have to do?"

"I had to go play backgammon in the park with a bunch of old timers."

Thomas stopped in his tracks, jerking Tyler to a stop next to him.

"Let me get this straight," he said, "Your honor depended upon you playing a game of backgammon?"

"Not just one game. A tournament."

"Did you win?"

"Not even close. Ol' Jefferies kicked my butt in the third round."

Thomas was unfamiliar with anger as an emotion. He usually only felt it vicariously when one of his favorite shojo heroines was being bullied. However, standing with Tyler Morrison, he had to take a few seconds to reign in his temper.

"Okay. So if it was a tournament it was just a one time thing, right?"

"Yeah, until the next season."

"So if I had another meeting at my house to discuss the con, would you come?"

"Of course! Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Thomas stared at him and nodded slowly, "Okay. You still have my phone number and address? I'll talk to you later this week. We'll probably meet next Friday after school."

"Sounds great, Tommy," Tyler said, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. He then began jogging backwards, calling out to Thomas before turning around and beginning his jog in earnest, "I'll see you then!"

Thomas watched him go. He had the distinct impression that Tyler was not only exercising, but that he was running away from Thomas as fast as he could.

* * *

Section 9: The Critic

Michael Hoffman's room was notable for its striking amount of Pokémon paraphernalia. There were posters of Pokémon tacked to every wall. There was an extensive collection of cards laying in various places around the room. Michael had every Pokémon video game known to man stored carefully on his bookshelf next to Pokémon guide books and DVDs. Admittedly, he wasn't crazy about the anime, but when he couldn't play his games, the show was an appropriate substitute to get his Pokémon fix. He even had an assortment of Pokémon plushies, his favorite being a mudkip doll about the size of a small dog.

It was this doll that he used as a pillow when he flopped down onto his bed (his mother had drawn the line at a Pokémon bedspread). "Thanks mudkip," he grunted as he got himself comfortable.

"Are you really playing that game? Again? Forever?"

Michael looked up with obvious disdain at his sister. Regina was leaning casually against the doorframe. Her long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail and it was tied - rather distastefully, Michael thought - with a pink ribbon. Most of what Regina wore was pink these days. Pink and frilly. She was going through a Sweet Lolita phase after having finally gotten out of the Japanese schoolgirl look. Before that, she had gone through a rather disturbing period of ganguro fashion. Michael didn't have much patience when it came to his sibling, even if she was his elder.

"Yes. Again and forever. It's my game," Michael said, "What's it matter to you anyway? Isn't there a tea party somewhere that you're missing?"

"Yeah I wish. Actually, I wanted to borrow your DS."

"No!" Michael said, closing the device and holding it to his chest as if to shield it from her, "You're always using my DS! Why don't you get your own!"

"Because I don't have any money! Besides, why should I get one if you've already got one?"

"Maybe because it's not yours and I don't want you using it! Especially when I'm playing a game." Michael said, then added sneeringly, "Besides, you would have money if you didn't spend all of your allowance on clothes from Bodyline."

"And you might not have any either if you actually took an interest in your appearance," Regina retorted as she picked up a nearby Ash Ketchum baseball hat. She placed it on her head carefully and observed her appearance in her brother's mirror. She then decided it didn't go with her look and tossed it to the ground.

"Are you going to let me use your DS or not?"

"Not."

"Okay, then how 'bout I don't buy you any Pokémon stuff at Kana-Kon this year, huh?"

"I don't need anything from you this year because I'm going myself."

"What?" Regina said, so shocked she almost shouted, "Mom and Dad would never let you go unsupervised! Oooh, no. I hope they don't think I'm going to baby-sit you! I'm staying with Elda and Heather and they _know_ that. You can't tag along!"

"Relax," Michael said, tossing a bulbasaur plushie at her, "I'm going because Tom offered to take me with a group of his friends. Mom already said it was okay."

Regina had caught the doll and was inspecting it for cuteness. It passed. She'd steal it later. "Tom?" she asked, "Our cousin?"

"Is there any other?"

"I don't buy it." Regina said imperiously, "Tom's always tried to be friendly to you, and you wanted nothing to do with him."

"Well this time I get to go to the con, so I don't care if it's with him or not. As long as I go, that's all that matters."

"Oh, I get it!" Regina cried, tossing bulbasaur back at him, "What's he making you dress up as?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tom might be nice to you, but he's not that nice without a reason. So come on, he's bringing other friends right? You're all going to dress up as characters from some manga or anime. So spill, which is it? Huh? Huh? HUH?"

"Okay, okay! It's some stupid shojo thing. Something you'd like probably."

"Really?" Regina flopped onto the bed next to her brother, her skirt ballooning into a dome supported by crinoline underneath, "What's it called?"

"Um… Something Host Club?"

Regina uttered a squeal that made Michael's flesh crawl. He was just starting to wonder what he had done to break her when her screeching started to sound like words.

"OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB!" she crowed, leaping up and jumping around on Michael's bed, "I don't know why I didn't see it before! Tom would be such a perfect Tamaki! Oh! Is his friend Kyle going to be Kyoya? Kyle who he always talks about? Tell me he is! That's too cute!"

She jumped from the bed, landed on the floor, and completed the move with a dainty pirouette, "But wait… Who are you supposed to be?"

Michael recovered from the terror induced by her outburst, "I-I'm, uh, Honey? Or something…"

"You're Hunny-sempai?" Regina said, her entire person conveying a feeling of disapproval, "Is Tom on drugs?"

"Probably. But what's that got to do with me?"

"Well I just don't see how that would work. You're troublesome, annoying, and a little prick. Hunny-sempai is supposed to be cute, lovable, and innocent."

"What does it matter to you anyway?" Michael said, readjusting himself on the pillows and opening his DS once again, "You're no part of it."

"It matters because I can't stand it if someone messes up my beloved characters," Regina said, but Michael was no longer listening to her. She frowned at him for a few seconds, silently sizing him up. Then she shrugged, turned, and marched down the hall, her skirt swinging along with her.

"Okay, whatever," she called over her shoulder, "But it's clear to me that Tom is going to need some help from a true expert."


	7. Sections 10&11: Tamaki, Kyoya, and Mori

Section 10: Really Good Friends

The needle moved in and out in time with the diligent humming of the device, expertly piecing together the pieces of blue fabric. Thomas couldn't believe he had managed to find his grandmother's old sewing machine, but once he had he just couldn't wait to get started. His room was now covered in scraps of cotton blend, discarded patterns, and spools of light blue thread. He had cleared off his desk and transformed it into a tailor's worktable. Rolls of fabric for the costumes were piled next to him on his bed.

He almost didn't notice the door open over the sound of the machine and the distraction of his work, but in time he looked up and saw Kyle there, patiently waiting for him.

He shut off the machine, leaving the things as they were, and went over to greet his friend.

"Kyle!" he shouted, tossing one arm over his friend's shoulders and motioning to the mess, "Isn't it great? I've already started mine."

"It's wonderful, Tom," Kyle said, giving his friend a warm smile, "But if you don't hurry we're going to be late."

"One moment, one moment," Thomas insisted, motioning his friend to follow him further into the room, "I just want to get your measurements first. I need them for the jacket."

"Okay," Kyle said, positioning himself between the bed and the desk. He removed his glasses and hoodie, then tugged this t-shirt over his head, tossing it across the room.

Thomas laughed, "You didn't have to remove your shirt too, dummy."

Kyle only shrugged and asked, "So what do I do?"

"Just hold out your arms."

Kyle obeyed his orders silently while Thomas pranced around him, deftly brandishing his tape measure and marking down the numbers as he went.

"Just you wait," he said, "You're going to look so great in this, Kyoya."

"Tamaki… You think so?"

Thomas laughed, turning away to put his tools on the desk. He was about to assure his friend that the look would be perfect, but suddenly he felt Kyoya's arms enveloping him. He turned in the midst of the embrace to see what was wrong, but that only served to push him farther against Kyoya. Tamaki was standing with his chest pressed against the body of his best friend, his breath coming in short, surprised gasps.

"K-Kyoya? What are you doing?"

Kyoya didn't say a word. It seemed all he could do was silently bury his face into Tamaki's shoulder. He moved forward, pushing Tamaki back a few paces with him. Tamaki was suddenly very aware of the bed pressed against his legs.

"K-Kyoya?" Tamaki stuttered again.

"I'm sorry," Kyoya said, pulling away slightly so that he could see Tamaki. There faces were inches apart.

Tamaki could feel Kyoya's heart rate increase, his chest pressed as it were against Tamki's own. Kyoya eased Tamaki onto the bed, positioning his own body over that of his friend. Tamaki's breath caught in his throat as Kyoya's lips softly brushed his own…

* * *

Thomas jolted up in bed, biting back a scream. He was sweating, and his heart was beating like crazy from the adrenaline rush. He pressed his hand to his chest as if to calm himself that way.

His phone was ringing. He answered it.

"Hello?" he said, still shaken.

"Tom? Where the hell are you? We're all waiting!"

"Kyle!" Thomas said, relieved to hear his friend's familiar voice, "I just had the craziest dream!"

"Save it, Tom. I don't care," Kyle said, "You need to get down to the park. _Now_. Don't forget that this was your idea!"

"Okay, okay," Thomas said with a smile, falling back down onto his pillow, "I'll be right there, alright? Tell the guys not to worry."

"Fine. Just hurry up."

Thomas waited for his friend to hang up, then he flipped his cell phone closed. Thomas looked at the clock. It was already past noon, and yet his dream had left him feeling exhausted. Jolting out of sleep is not the most pleasant way to wake up in the morning.

He rolled out of bed and groaned, "I've got to stop reading fan fiction…"

* * *

Section 11: Challenges

"Took you long enough to get here, ass." Michael said sullenly as Thomas approached.

"I really don't think someone your age should talk like that," Kyle commented while shooting his own dirty look at Thomas. Kyle did not like to be kept waiting.

Michael's frown deepened, "How old do you think I am?"

Henry answered in place of Kyle, "Nine! Or ten? Can't be older than ten."

Michael punched Henry in the abdomen, "I'm fourteen and in junior high, you asshole!"

Henry doubled over, nursing his stomach and biting back a string of curse words. Keith was by him instantly, anxiously trying to help him but not sure how.

"Michael! I swear to god if you don't stop hitting people in the stomach…"

"What? You want me to get you in the balls next time? Cause I got not problem with that."

Thomas gave the twins one of his odd smiles. He motioned to Keith's protective stance by his brother - they were practically embracing, "Nice to see that you two are practicing.

"This isn't practice!" Henry yelled, "Tell your cousin to stop beating us or I'll kick his ass!"

"As if you could." Michael said.

"Would everyone please calm down and remember what we're doing here in the first place?"

This last comment was from Kyle. He was referring to Deerfield park, a place that had neither deer nor field. What it did have was an astonishingly normal playground, a few tire swings, a man-made pond, and a number of recreational areas. Sidewalks twisted through an assortment of flowering bushes and old trees, beckoning dog-walkers and joggers past the public tennis courts, skate park, and basketball court. There was an area set up with the tables and chairs placed there specifically for the benefit of old men who had nothing better to do with their Saturdays than play chess with other old men. It was to this last area that the teenagers set their sights.

Tyler Morrison was not playing chess. He was playing Chinese checkers with a man named Mr. Tetsuya whom Tyler regarded as being wiser than Yoda. Tyler was losing.

"One of these days, Tetsuya," Tyler was saying, "One of these days, I'm finally gonna beat you."

"Son, I've got years of experience. The only way you're winning a game of checkers against me is if I decide to go senile."

"Is going senile a choice?"

"It is for people like me," said Mr. Tetsuya. He looked up, coughed once, and muttered around his fist, "We've got company."

Tyler's first instinct was to flee. Mr. Tetsuya's suspicious warning had instantly made him think the FBI or a local mafia was approaching to pick him up. But then Tyler remembered that he hadn't broken any drug trafficking laws or gotten mixed up with Italian thugs recently, so there really wasn't any reason to run away. He turned around to see Thomas Smith &co. casually surrounding his seat.

"Hey guys," Tyler said. He was a bit disappointed to see Thomas instead of a CIA operative. If not Jason Borne, he could at least have been another disciple of Mr. Tetsuya, come to challenge his old master! But Thomas and his friends looked the very opposite of secret agents or trained disciples. Except for Kyle. Kyle could probably be an assassin.

"Hello, Tyler," Thomas said, smiling, "It has been awhile now, and we are concerned that you are never going to join us as promised."

"We?" Tyler asked, glancing at the others to gage their involvement.

"Yes. We. We have been meeting without you, Tyler, and we're ready for you to join us now. Will you come willingly, or shall we take you by force?"

"Are you guys a cult?"

"No!" Thomas said, his serious mask broken by the insult, "I'm talking about the convention! The cosplaying! We've all been preparing for it and you haven't shown up once!"

"Oh right! I remember that now!" said Tyler excitedly. Then he paused, and said very sweetly, "Think you could find someone else?"

Thomas had expected this response. He calmed himself and said, "No. There's no one else. I've search the whole school. Your look fits all the requirements."

"Yeah, but I don't want to do it. How'd you find me here anyway? Are you stalking me now? I mean, first my house and now the park?"

"Kyle. Tell him what we know."

Kyle adjusted his glasses and began reading from a dossier, "Tyler James Morrison. Age 18. Height, six feet two inches. Weight, 180 pounds. Senior. Attending Carson County Community College in the Fall. Intended Major Unspecified. Current residence 2434 Westbridge Lane. Lives with single mother, Clara and younger brother, Seth," Kyle glanced up from his file, "Shall I go on to your early life experiences?"

Tyler winced jokingly, "Better save us the daylight, sir."

He sat thoughtfully, staring the boys. "All right, I get it," he said finally, "You guys are scary. Is this the part where you threaten my family if I don't agree to go along with you?"

"Certainly not!" Thomas exclaimed, "I'm just showing you how serious we are about this! I was really counting on you… So no, we're not threatening you."

"Really?" Kyle asked, "I thought that was exactly what we were doing."

"No… We aren't." Thomas sighed, "I'm giving you an opportunity to get out of this, Tyler."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've come to offer you a challenge. If you win, I'll go away and never bother you again. But if we win, you have to agree to come to every meeting between now and the convention, and then of course participate in the convention according to my specifications."

"Do I get to choose the challenge?"

"You get a choice between two that I created."

Tyler looked at Mr. Tetsuya for assistance. The old man was smiling like a Cheshire cat. He winked at Tyler and gave him the slightest of nods.

"Okay. I accept. But only on the condition that if I win Kyle has to write all of my essays for the rest of the year."

Thomas slapped his hand over Kyle's mouth before he could object, "Done!"

"Great, what are my options?"

Thomas smiled and motioned first to his young cousin and then to the twins, "You can either spar with Michael or try to guess which twin is which."

Tyler considered the two tasks. On the one hand, he thought he could best the little kid in a fight, but he was pretty sure it was against his morals to beat up a small child. Next, he considered the brothers. They may have been identical, but you could easily tell them apart by their hair. Still, he wasn't sure he even remembered their names. Keith was the one with the shaggy hair and bangs in his eyes, right? Or was that Harry or Henry or whatever his name was?

In the end, Tyler's sense of right and wrong won out, "I choose the second. I'll guess which brother is which."

"Perfect!" Thomas said, then he asked Tyler to turn around for just a moment. Tyler complied. He faced Mr. Tetsuya and shrugged.

"Sorry about all this."

"No problem," Mr. Tetsuya said in a low voice, "This seems very interesting to me. What is it these boys want you to do?"

"I told them I'd join their host club and go to a convention where people dress up as characters from… stuff."

Mr. Tetsuya nodded sagely, "My granddaughter likes to go to those. She really likes dressing up like one of them… Wha'dya call it? Soldier Noons?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Tyler said, and then Thomas called him back to the task at hand.

"Ready!" he called, "You can turn around now."

Tyler stared at the twins. They had pulled identical hoodies over their shirts, and their hair was completely covered by woolen winter hats. They looked exactly the same.

""Ta-Da!"" they shouted in unison, throwing out their arms in mirror images of each other, ""It's time for the Name-the-Hawkins Game!"

"Objection!" Tyler said immediately, "How the hell am I supposed to tell them apart? They look the same."

"Duh, that's why it's called a challenge." Michael said. He was sulking. Tyler wondered if he was disappointed at not being chosen.

"You may ask them one question, if you like," said Kyle.

Tyler frowned. That didn't do him much good, since he knew next to nothing about the Hawkins underclassmen, other than that they were on the junior varsity basketball team…

"I got it." he said confidently, "Doppelgangers, riddle me this. Which twin is better at playing basketball?"

The twins exchanged glances. The one on the on the right spoke first, "Keith is."

The second twin followed, stating affirmatively that Keith was indeed the better player.

"Okay, the one on the right is Henry."

""What?"" The twins cried, yanking off their hats. The twin on the right was sporting Henry's short-cropped dark brown hair, whilst Keith revealed his longer hairstyle in the same color. They were both dismayed to be so easily found out, and their angst was coupled with Thomas's loud lamentations.

"Did I get it right?" Tyler asked. He still didn't know which twin had the short hair and which the long.

Kyle adjusted his glasses and narrowed his eyes, "Yes. But… How?"

"Because the twin on the right spoke first, and he said 'Keith.' The second twin would follow the lead of the first to try and confuse me, but the first to speak out would clearly choose the other brother. He wouldn't want to choose himself over the other, you see?"

Michael scoffed, "But what if they knew you would figure that out? They could have tricked you."

Tyler smiled at Michael, "Sure. That could have happened, but it didn't. So I win."

"Yes, you did. So we have no other choice but to leave you alone." Kyle said. He had taken over for the group. Thomas was currently dwelling in a thicket of bushes, creating another sea of depression around him.

Tyler lifted his hand, pointed a finger at Kyle, and mimed shooting a gun at him, "I'll have the assignment for my history paper for you on Monday."

Kyle cringed, "Very well."

Tyler and Mr. Tetsuya watched in silence as the others collected Thomas from the bushes and carried him away. Tyler turned back to the game, only to find that Mr. Tetsuya was replacing the marbles to begin again.

"I don't think you did right by them, Tyler," the old man said.

"What are you talking about? You were the one who encouraged me to accept their challenge."

"True, but I didn't know that you had already made a promise to that boy. A man must keep his vows. How else can he expect to be trusted by others?"

"But what if I don't want to be trusted by others?" Tyler asked indignantly, though he was starting to harbor feelings of guilt, "What if I'm just untrustworthy?"

Mr. Tetsuya smiled, then motioned to the set of Chinese checkers, "Very well, since you seem to like challenges, I challenge you to a game. If I win, you must tell those boys that you will participate after all, and you must do so according to their orders."

Tyler grinned. He couldn't resist a challenge from Mr. Tetsuya, "What's in it for me?"

"If you win, which you won't, then I will teach you how to count cards in blackjack."

"Deal."

They began the game. For several minutes, all was silent between them. Only the sound of marbles clacking against the wooden surface of the checkerboard was heard. Mr. Tetsya was setting up the game perfectly to move his pieces across the battlefield, but Tyler, through much practice, was expertly using those marbles to maneuver into his space. He even managed to find ways to block the moves that Mr. Tetsuya was setting up.

They were down to their last few pieces. Then, Mr. Tetsuya began moving his marbles across the board with multiple-jump moves that Tyler hadn't even considered utilizing for himself. In just a few minutes, Tyler was totally beaten.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, son," Mr. Tetsuya said, storing up the game once again, "I told you I'd never lose."

Tyler lifted his head from where it was resting on the table, "I guess this means I'll be keeping my word after all?"

"I guess so. And one more thing, don't have that Kyle kid do your homework for you. How are you supposed to gain your own knowledge if you rely on the work of other men?"

Tyler shook his head and stood up, "You and your code of honor. But okay, I see your point and obey, sensei."

Mr. Tetsuya laughed, "If you hurry, you can still catch up with them, grasshopper."


	8. Section 12: Renge

Section 12: Something Missing

Michael huffed and puffed his way down the street, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. His blond hair kept whipping into his eyes, and his breath came in short gasps. Still, he didn't break pace even for a second. Despite the burning in his lungs he kept sprinting until the house was directly in front of him. Then, miraculously, he managed to put on even more speed. With a desperate lunge, he threw himself through the front door and slammed it behind him.

Thomas and the others jumped in surprise and stared at him. Michael didn't move from where he leaned, back against the door. He tried to catch his breath as Thomas approached him.

"Hi, Michael. You're just on time. But you didn't need to worry about being late. Did you run here?"

"R-Run…" Michael finally managed to gasp. It came out as a whisper at first, but then it gained volume as he continued to speak, allowing the other boys to hear him with growing alarm, "Run! Hide! Before she finds you! Why are you just sitting there? Can't you understand that the mega-beast is on her way to devour you all?"

"Calm down, Mike!" Thomas cried, grabbing his cousin by the shoulders and pulling him into the living room, "Get a hold of yourself and tell us what's happened? Who's coming?"

Michael allowed himself to be lead to the sofa. He sat between Tyler and Keith, taking the can of soda offered by the former. He gulped it down only to start coughing as some of it went down the wrong way.

"Easy, there little guy," Tyler said, patting Michael good-naturedly on the back, "It's no good to drink it so fast when you're out of breath."

"Thanks for the warning," Michael scoffed, his usual sarcasm returning. He brushed Tyler's hand away and leaned back into the cushions of the sofa. "Well, we're all doomed now. She's probably almost here."

"And who is it you're talking about exactly?" inquired Kyle.

"Oh no one. Just the most psychotic, over-bearing, obsessive fan girl this side of the hemisphere."

"Regina?" Thomas asked just as the front door opened once again.

"_Konnichiwa_! It's me! Sorry I'm a bit late."

Everyone but Michael turned around to observe the source of the high-pitched voice. A girl of about 16 years stood in the doorway. She had long, golden-blond hair that she was wearing in two curled pigtails. Her dress was unusual, with yellow and white floral print and wide skirt. She wore stockings as well, white with a yellow ribbon. They came up past her thigh. Her shoes were astonishingly tall, reminding some of the boys of the platform shoes of the seventies, only more like mary-janes. Finally, the ensemble was accented by a perfectly matched parasol, which the girl rested jauntily on her shoulder.

Thomas smiled with genuine joy at seeing his cousin, "Hello Regina! I didn't know you were coming today."

"Oh, Tom! I wouldn't miss it for the world. Now, introduce me properly to everyone."

"Of course," Thomas said. He motioned for Regina to join them, which she did after first removing her death-defying shoes. Thomas first introduced Regina to the group collectively, announcing that she was his cousin and Michael's older sister. The boys all echoed their hellos, rather like an AA group, and then Thomas began introducing them all in turn.

"These two are Henry and Keith Hawkins."

"The twins, obviously," Regina said by way of acknowledgement, "You'll be cutting their hair of course?"

Thomas nodded, "Yeah. And dying it too."

"Tom says he wants us both to grow it out until then," Henry said.

"So it's easier to style and cut identically when the time comes," Keith elaborated.

""But we aren't crazy about the color.""

Regina laughed, clapping her hands together and bouncing on the balls of her feet, "They're perfect Thomas! I can tell we're going to have fun together."

""Together?"" The twins asked, but Thomas was already moving on to Tyler.

"Well, you have to be Mori. There's no other option." Regina was saying. "So they tell me," Tyler said, smiling from ear to ear with very little provocation, "Nice dress."

Regina merely pursed her lips at him and hummed a cryptic, "Hm…" Her eyes quickly passed over him and found Kyle. Without waiting for Thomas to speak, Regina closed the distance between them in a few short steps. She grasped one of Kyle's hands in both of hers and proceeded to gush, "You must be Kyle! It's so nice to finally meet you! Thomas talks about you all the time so I feel like we're already friends! I already know that you are going to be playing Kyoya, and I just think that's so perfect! Do you read Host Club?"

"Um, I read a few volumes," Kyle said trying to take back possession of his hand and awkwardly failing at this task, "For research."

"Well that's good. But you already seem so much like Kyoya, I'll bet you won't need much work!"

"S'cuse me," Henry interjected just as Kyle finally managed to release his hand, "But what exactly is going on here?"

Regina straightened up proudly. She grabbed her parasol from where it leaned against the coffee table and swung it onto her shoulder once again. Somehow, the added frill only added to her aura of authority.

"Isn't it obvious?" she said pompously, "I'm here to get you guys ready for the con!"

"I thought that was Tom's job," Keith said flatly.

Regina rewarded him with a swift rap on the head with her parasol, "You don't think a boy would be any good at preparing you guys for the portrayal of _shojo_ characters, do you? Not a chance! This is girls terrain, and I'm not letting the likes of you mess up my favorite reverse harem!"

"Harem? Who's in a harem," Tyler asked, already taking note of the exit in case he needed to make a quick get-away.

"Just an expression!" Thomas cried before things could get further out of hand.

Keith rubbed his head and muttered to Henry, his voice loud enough for all to hear, "If we don't stop getting beaten when we come to these meetings, I'm going to steal that teddy bear of Tom's and burn it."

"Easy," Henry said to his brother, noticing how Thomas's face twisted unhappily at Keith's threat, "We can't blame everything his cousins do on Tom."

"What is this 'Tom' nonsense?" Regina asked, rapping Henry on the head this time, "You two should be referring to Tamaki as 'milord.'"

""_Excuse me_?""

"Now hold on Regina!" Thomas quickly interjected. He grabbed his female cousin by the shoulders and steered her from the living room into the kitchen. Casting one last glance toward his friends to make sure Tyler wasn't trying to escape, he turned to Regina and rasped in a low voice, "Do you think we could take this one step at a time! These guys didn't know anything about _shojo_ before coming here, let alone all the subtleties of Ouran!"

"You think I should be easier on them?"

"Yes! If you try to throw everything at them all at once, it's only going to freak them out! The twins are still working out the whole brotherly love thing you know. I don't want to overwhelm them."

"No."

"No?"

"I refuse to go easy on them," Regina said impetuously, "And it seems to me that you're lacking the determination I expect to see in Tamaki-kun. I didn't think I'd have to train you as well, but if I must, then I must."

"_I?_ Lack determination? You must be kidding."

"Well," Regina said, twirling her skirts as she turned away from him. "You at least gathered together a good group. I can work with a crowd like this. Oh, and I forgive you by the way."

"Forgive me for what?"

"For not putting me in your Host Club! Honestly, I can't believe you didn't think to call me! But I can forgive you just this once, as I'm already going with some of my friends to the con. We'll be participating in the Lolita Tea Party. So where is she anyway?"

Thomas was, as usual, having some difficulty keeping up with Regina's conversation, "Sorry? Where is who?"

"Don't play dumb. The only reason I can think of why you wouldn't have called me is because you already found a girl just as perfect for her role as these boys are for theirs. So… When is she getting here?"

"Regina… I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

Regina dealt a blow to Thomas's kneecaps with her parasol so strong that it knocked him to the ground. He cried out in shock and pain, but Regina continued to beat him as she shouted, "THOMAS SMITH! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY FORGET ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT MEMBER OF THE HOST CLUB?"

Maybe it was the sudden blows to the head that knocked the thought into his mind, but Thomas forgot the whacks of the parasol as he realized what he had forgotten.

"Haruhi!" he gasped, jumping back to his feet and knocking the parasol from Regina's hands.

"You're damn right Haruhi!" Regina snarled, her fan-girl rage at its peak, "Who ever heard of an Ouran cosplay without a Haruhi?"

"I can't believe I didn't think of her…" Thomas said, absently massaging his head where a large lump was just starting to form.

Regina sighed. She picked up her parasol from where it had fallen and leaned it on her shoulder. "I can," she said, "It's just the sort of scatterbrained thing you would do. I was right to volunteer my help. Forget Haruhi indeed…"

"But who should I choose? I don't think there's any girl at school like Haruhi. I would have noticed."

"Thomas, anybody can be cosplayed into a convincing character. You just need to find a girl who's petite, cute, and flat-chested. Leave the rest to me."

Thomas pondered momentarily, then his expression began to reflect a renewed feeling of optimism, "There is a friend of mine in the drama club who might really like to go with us. I know she's already familiar with Host Club, too."

"Perfect!" Regina said, nodding her head in approval. Her curled pigtails bobbed along with her, "And if all else fails, I can always find someone at my school!"

Thomas cringed, but he forced a smile and muttered a non-committal "Uh." Regina went to St. Lawrence, an all-girl private school that Thomas didn't care for. The few times he went there to watch one of Regina's music recitals all the girls were completely stuck up. They didn't pay the least amount of attention to him. He didn't want a girl like that to be in their club.

Regina pivoted away from Thomas and made her way into the living room once again. She strutted through the boys, leading Thomas along behind her, and stopped in the entryway to put her shoes back on.

"I'll leave you boys alone for today," she said to them all, "But next time the real work begins. I want each of you to study up on your Host Club member's back-story and key characteristics, then we'll have a presentation of the same to see your progress. Kyle, you don't have to do a thing."

Regina smiled coyly in the direction of Thomas's best friend. Kyle raised his eyebrows in surprise. Henry and Keith began to chuckle and whisper to one another, and Kyle turned away from the group in embarrassment.

"I love _megane_ types!" Regina whispered to Thomas, then in a louder voice she added, "And I expect to see Haruhi here next time!"


	9. Section 13&14: Haruhi and Haruhi

Section 13: Tamaki's Haruhi

"You're putting together a Host Club cosplay group? That's so great, Tom! I always thought you were a little like Tamaki. Is Kyle going to be Kyoya or Mori?"

Thomas smiled cheerfully at Hilary Forbes. He was helping her with some backstage work. Their school was currently preparing a performance of My Fair Lady - one of Thomas's favorites - and Hilary was starring as Eliza, as well as heading the costume crew. Currently, the pair of friends were working in the costume closet, Hilary pulling anything that fitted the time period and Thomas holding whatever it was she threw at him. His arms were burning with the strain of holding enormous skirts and heavy petticoats, jackets and trousers, and an assortment of large, ugly hats.

"He's going to be Kyoya, of course," Thomas said, adjusting the load in his arms to clutch it more comfortably to his chest, "Tyler Morrison is going to be Mori."

"Interesting choice," Hilary said. Thomas wasn't sure if she was referring to Tyler or to the hat she had just placed on his head and was now contemplating seriously.

"There's more though," Thomas said with a sly grin.

Hilary didn't respond to him for a few moments, allowing Thomas to observe her work at length. She was truly an amazing person. She was small in height and a little plain in features, but her large brown eyes were captivating, and she exuded a presence that made everyone notice her when she so desired. Thomas watched her brows knit in concentration as she removed the hat from his head and began tearing off the many ribbons and fake fruits that decorated it. He imagined her onstage, as she was when he first saw her. She was easily the most talented actress in their high school, and he knew she was involved in community theater as well. What's more, she was a huge fan of shojo manga. She and Thomas had spent many an afternoon discussing their favorite titles. She would have no trouble assuming the personality of Haruhi Fujioka.

"What's that?" Hilary asked, finally acknowledging Thomas's hint.

"Hilary, I want you to come to the con with us. I want you to be Haruhi."

Hilary's eyes grew wide and she smiled, but it was a transient smile, quickly fading into a soft frown.

"Thanks, Tom. But I'm already going with some people this year. We were going to cosplay too."

"But… We need you! Who else in this school could possibly play Haruhi besides you?"

"I'm sorry, Tom! But I already promised the girls. We've been planning this for weeks. I can't just abandon them cause you offered me a place as Haruhi."

"But you love Haruhi," Thomas muttered, pouting, "Who do they want you to play that's so much better."

Hilary blushed, "That's not important. The point is that I have a prior arrangement. And there are lots of other girls in the school you could take. Everyone loves you."

Thomas sighed the heavy sigh of a man with a large cross to bear, "That is true…"

But he didn't look satisfied. Hilary watched him carefully for a few minutes, neither of them moving nor speaking. Softly, she said, "Well, maybe I can work something out with my friends. I could split the time between you guys and them. Would that work?"

Thomas contemplated this option. He didn't like the idea of the Host Club spending a single day at the con without Haruhi, but he didn't have much of a choice. Hilary was really the only girl in school he could imagine embodying Haruhi. And a Haruhi for part of the time was better than no Haruhi at all.

"Okay," Thomas said, flashing one of his most dazzling smiles and attempting to look pleased with the compromise, "Talk to your friends and explain to them the situation. And be sure to call me the second you figure out what's up!"

Hilary beamed, "Okay!"

* * *

Section 14: Renge's Choice

"Freya! Hey! Freya Holbrook!"

Freya stopped in the middle of the hallway. The final school bell of the day had rung, and the girls of St. Lawrence Academy were milling in the halls and commons area, some quick to burst out the doors and drive off in their parent's expensive cars, others taking their time to collect in knots of laughter and conversation. Freya was alone, or as alone as she could be in the midst of the other girls.

Regina struggled to maneuver the sea of schoolmates in her tall black heels. She was the only girl in school to alter her uniform. She seemed to enjoy the pleated black mini-skirt, but the standard tie worn by Lawrence girls was replaced by a red ribbon that matched the one holding back her hair. Regina also wore tall black thigh high stockings, complete with a small red ribbon accenting the top.

It was this strange girl who had called out to Freya. She waved again to make sure Freya had seen her and in less than a minute she was at Freya's side. Regina linked Freya's arm with her own and continued to walk down the hall with her. This was all well and good, except that Regina had never spoken to Freya, and Freya knew Regina by name only. They didn't share any classes.

"So, how are you?"

"Fine…" Freya said, allowing her confusion to slip into her voice, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Well, since you asked, there is actually!" Regina was smiling happily at Freya, but the other girl remained wary. There was something about the way Regina's eyes sparkled that gave Freya cause for concern.

Freya continued to walk further down the hall, arm-in-arm with Regina while she continued to smile. As they reached the commons and stepped out into the cool autumn air, Freya risked asking, "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"What what is, dear?"

Freya wasn't sure how she liked being called "dear" by a girl who was two grades beneath her, but she decided to ignore it, "What it is you want? You said in the hall that you wanted something but you didn't say what it was."

"You're such a straight shooter! But then that just proves how like _her _you really are!"

"Regina, I have to walk home. If you aren't going to get to the point, then I'm leaving."

"Okay, okay!" Regina said. She was laughing now and leaning more heavily on Freya's arm, as if trying to hold her down.

"I wanted to invite you to a get together at my cousin Thomas's house," she said, "Some of his friends are going to be there this Saturday, and I don't want to be the only girl present."

A million questions flew through Freya's mind. Why was Regina inviting her to her cousin's house? She had plenty of other friends, and they didn't even know each other. What sort of "get together" was it, anyway?

What it all boiled down to was that Freya really didn't care. And she certainly wasn't interested in being one of two girls at a party no doubt filled with boys she wouldn't know.

"No thanks." Freya said, pulling her arm free and beginning to walk away.

"Wait! Why not?"

"I just don't want to go." Freya said. She had no problem being so blunt to someone she had never talked to and would probably never talk to again. She waved dismissively over her shoulder at the other girl, then she realized that Regina was struggling to run after her in her ridiculous heels. Freya found herself waiting for her out of courtesy before thinking about it.

"But it will be fun! Tom's friends all go Oswego. They're so cute, too! Not like anyone you'd meet here."

"That's because St. Lawrence is an all girls' school," Freya pointed out, but Regina wasn't listening. She had already switched to a new tactic of baiting Freya.

"Tom has a really nice house, you know. And he has so many fun video games to play. Do you like video games?"

"Not really." Freya said, beginning to walk again, more slowly this time.

"Well… What about animals? Tom has a dog named Louis. He's a golden retriever."

"I'm more of a cat person."

"Cat?"

"Well, bird. I like bird's better than anything. Does Tom have a bird?"

"… No."

"Then I'm still not interested."

Freya picked up her pace now, determined to leave Regina behind this time. The other girl stopped. She seemed defeated for a moment. Then Freya heard her voice call out desperately, "Well you must like food! Everybody does! And Tom's the greatest pastry chief I've ever met!"

Freya froze in her tracks. Against her better judgment, she turned around slowly. Regina was staring at her, her eyes huge and round. She seemed unable to believe that this last attempt at persuasion was having an effect.

"Pastry? Like, desserts?" Freya asked hesitantly, "Your cousin?"

"Yeah, of course. I learned every recipe I know from him."

"Does he make other stuff?"

"Yes. I think he makes dinner for his parents a lot, since they work all of the time."

"Does he ever make fish?"

"Fish?"

"You know. Like… Tuna?"

"Tuna!" Regina exclaimed. Breaking off the discussion with her laughter, "He can make a lot fancier stuff than tuna dishes! Think salmon! Tilapia! Anything you could want!"

"Is he going to make this for his party?"

Regina blinked her brown eyes slowly at Freya, "Yeah. He always makes snacks for the guys. Usually they can't even finish it all. Can you imagine? A bunch of high school guys not able to finish off a few snacks. But then, Tom does get carried away with things he's passionate about."

"I'll go."

"… What?"

"I said I'll go. Can you tell me the address?"

"Yeah!" Regina said, not believing her luck. She fumbled in her backpack - a one strap messenger bag, embroidered it seemed with flowers and other designs - and pulled out a piece of paper. On this she hastily scribbled out an address and a phone number.

"That's my cell in case you get lost." Regina said, "I'll see you Friday at noon."

"Okay," Freya said, taking the scrap of notebook paper, "I'll see you there. Tell your cousin I like tuna."


	10. Section 15: Haruhi and Haruhi

Section 15: Two Haruhis

The person on Thomas Smith's doorstep wasn't Hilary, as he expected when he answered the door. It wasn't Regina or Michael either. Thomas had no idea who this poorly dressed stranger was.

"Can I help you?" Thomas asked, trying to hide the disappointment he felt from finding an ugly boy at the door instead of Hilary.

"Well, I guess," said the boy. He shuffled his sneaker-clad feet on the Smith's welcome mat and stared at Thomas nervously through a pair of thick framed glasses. He was wearing an over-sized brown sweater over a white collared shirt. Thomas noted the state of his worn jeans, his ratty shoes, the general downcast look of humility and the shaggy haircut, and concluded that this fellow was obviously from a low income home. Thomas immediately felt pity for him.

"Please come in."

Thomas beckoned the young man into the hall, ignoring the curious stares coming from the Host Club in the living room. His new guest complied, stepping over the threshold and into the house. Thomas waited, expecting his new friend to burst into rapture over the style and expense of his home. No doubt it all would fascinate this poor stranger. Instead, the boy merely acknowledged the hosts with a nod and said, "Regina sent me."

Thomas frowned, but tried to cover it with his customary smile. The end result was a somewhat quizzical expression that made the stranger take a few hesitant steps backward, as if he thought he had done something wrong.

"Really? Well, then of course you're welcome! I'm her cousin, Thomas."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Freya."

"Freya? That's a strange name for a boy."

"I completely agree. Maybe that's why I'm a girl."

Thomas's jaw dropped, "What? Impossible! Since when are you a girl?"

"What's wrong, Tom?" Kyle asked, "You couldn't tell that she was a girl?"

"That's pretty shitty," said Henry.

Keith nodded, "Yeah, I mean she has girl written all over her."

Tyler tilted his head to the side and inspected Freya from head to toe. Freya shifted uneasily.

Tyler smiled, "I have to disagree. She could use a more feminine look. Still, I can't believe you'd actually mistake her for a girl, Smith."

"B-But… Your clothes!"

Freya stared down at her wardrobe. "Laundry day," she explained, "I borrowed some clothes from my dad. He never wears this anyway."

Thomas listened to this brief explanation and tried to adjust to the new situation and the social faux-pas that he had committed. The twins were grinning evilly at him from their seats. He could see them whisper something to Tyler that made him laugh and then pass the message on to Kyle. Clearly, he had to do something to regain control over this party.

"I think we may have got off on the wrong foot. It's very nice to meet you, Freya, and might I say you are a very attractive female specimen."

Freya blushed slightly, but she merely said, "Thanks. I feel like a bug in a box now, but thanks."

"No, wait… I just meant that you in no way look like a scraggly poor boy."

"Poor? Scraggly?"

Kyle stood up and dumped a bowl of chips onto Thomas's head, "I think you've said enough here, Tom. We're out of chips. How about you go and get some more?"

Thomas reluctantly took the now empty bowl and walked over the chips toward the kitchen. He was going to have to vacuum before his mother got home. From behind he could hear Kyle calmly introducing Freya properly to the others, then the doorbell rang.

"Someone get the door!" he shouted, "It's probably Hilary!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, dear!" Regina sang from down the hall, "Just Michael and me! Who's Hilary?"

Thomas picked up the new bowl and waltzed back into the living room with a smile, "Just the girl I've chosen to be Haruhi!"

Regina was sitting on the sofa between Freya and Michael. She had apparently invited herself to do Freya's hair, and the poor girl's glasses had been abandoned on the coffee table. Thomas had to admit that she did look better already, but he still thought that she looked like a boy. Regina, meanwhile, had paused her work with the brush and comb, and was staring at Thomas with a slightly horrified expression.

"You've picked a Haruhi?"

"Of course I did. Didn't I say I would last time? Besides, you were likely to beat me to death with a parasol if I didn't have a Haruhi by today, right?"

"You've… already picked a Haruhi?"

Thomas looked from one cousin to the other. Michael had covered his mouth and was trying to stifle his laughter. It seemed he knew something that Thomas didn't. Regina was staring at Freya dismally.

"Oh this is terrible, just terrible!"

"What?" Thomas demanded, "Just what is so terrible about me finally including Haruhi in our plans?"

"Because I already picked a Haruhi for you!"

Thomas was flabbergasted, "What? But I told you that I would choose someone! That I had someone in mind!"

"Yes, but I didn't actually expect you to find anybody! You're quite useless!"

"Will everyone please calm down?" Kyle commanded. Thomas and Regina immediately fell into a heated silence, each of them simmering in their own indignation.

"Regina," Kyle continued, "I take it Freya is your choice for Haruhi?"

"Yes."

"Huh?" Freya said, finally pulling herself away from the snacks laid out on the table and acknowledging the drama playing out around her. Her involvement was drowned out, however, by Thomas's cry of protest.

"_Her?_" he said, "Regina you can't be serious! She's nothing like Haruhi!"

"Oh please!" Henry interjected, "I've only seen a few episodes of this thing, but even I can see that the girl looks exactly like Haruhi."

"That's not the point!" Thomas said, "My Haruhi can actually _act_. She is the better choice."

Thomas caught his mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He glanced and Freya and his face reddened considerably.

"That is… Freya you seem nice and all, but… I already promised the position to…"

"Don't look at me." Freya said, "I just came here to eat some food. I don't have any idea what you guys are even talking about."

Tyler grinned crookedly and Regina and winked, "You didn't tell her your plans for her?"

"Uh, well no."

"What plans for me? I don't like the sound of this…"

Thomas threw his hands into the air, "You're going around saying you've picked a Haruhi for me and you didn't even tell her about the plans? Has she even heard of Host Club?"

The doorbell rang. Regina was cut off from responding as Keith got up to answer the door. Hilary had finally come to make an appearance, and the group waited with baited breath to see how this would all pan out.

"Hi everybody!" Hilary said as she came in with Keith, "I hope I'm not too late! And I've got good news…" She hesitated. Regina was staring at her coldly, obviously sizing her up. The girl in the ugly brown sweater seemed like she wanted to bolt out one of the windows.

"Um… My friends said they don't mind if I spend a day with another cosplay group. I can join you guys!"

"A day?" Regina said, "Another cosplay group? Thomas, she already has plans! Freya is completely free that weekend, aren't you Freya?"

"Um. What?"

"Nevermind that! I've already decided. Freya, it was nice meeting you but Hilary here is going to be our Haruhi."

"What's going on? Have you got another girl? If that's the case then I'll just tell my friends not to worry…"

"No, no! You stay. We want you."

"Speak for yourself, Tom," said Michael, "I like my sister's pick better, and I'm not just saying that cause I live with her. She's a natural."

"Let's vote on it!" suggested Regina.

"This is not a democracy! I am king of this Host Club!"

Tyler thrust his fist into the air, "Down with the monarchy! Viva la resistance!"

"Um… Can I say something?"

Everyone quieted down yet again in order to listen to Hilary. She smiled under the pressure, completely nonchalant.

"It might help your decision if I mention that I couldn't be a part of the cosplay contest with you."

Thomas was instantly crestfallen, "But… That's the whole point of the Host Club."

Hilary smiled sadly, "Yeah, I kinda figured that was the case. Still, I thought I'd come over today, if only to hang out. But I promised my friends that I'd enter the contest with them. I could cosplay with you guys for a day, but I just couldn't abandon the others after I promised."

Thomas sighed and stared down at his feet, "You're right. You gave your word to your other friends. We'll have to figure something else out."

"I'm sorry, Tom."

"But this doesn't mean you have to leave!" he said. He took Hilary by the arm and led her further into the room, "You can stay and give Freya a few pointers on how to act, couldn't you? You could help all of us!"

Hilary's excitement matched Thomas's. She was grinning wildly at the idea of training the hosts in their various roles, "I'd love to help in any way I can!"

"Perfect!" Regina said clapping her hands, "So I didn't have anything to worry about after all!"

"Sure you do."

"What's that, Tyler?"

"Well, it's nice that Hilary has stepped down, but now we've lost the other Haruhi."

Tyler wasn't kidding. At some point during their quarreling, Freya had quietly gotten up from her seat, stuffed a few more pieces of fancy tuna into her mouth, and walked out the front door. She was gone, and Thomas was once again minus one Haruhi.


	11. Section 16: Kyoya and Renge

Section 16: Big Spender

"Kyle, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"I suppose not. What is it?"

"Just… What the hell is that thing?"

Kyle's doorbell had rang at the bright and early hour of 8 in the morning. Kyle's parents, being avid fans of fitness, were already out on their morning jog, so it was left to Kyle to answer the door. For the most part, this was all very regular and ordinary, except that the guest who had arrived so early and unannounced on a Saturday morning was Regina Hoffman.

Regina had looked mightily disappointed to see Kyle open the door.

"I knew it had to be something," she had groaned in place of a salutation, "You were just too good to be true."

Kyle had looked down at his appearance. He was dressed comfortably in a Snuggie that he wore over his sweatpants and a plain T-shirt. All that remained were his bare feet, now feeling a little cold since he was forced to get up from the couch and answer the door. He really couldn't see anything wrong with his appearance that would warrant such a comment from Regina, but if she had a problem with Snuggies, she would just have to deal with it. It was his house, and he could dress just however he pleased.

"Um, morning Regina."

"Morning, he says! As if he enjoys it!" Regina had pushed her way past Kyle like she owned the place and immediately began inspecting the interior of the house as if she were searching for the incriminating evidence of a horrible and bloody crime. Kyle was pretty sure she wouldn't find anything. Unless his parent's Bowflex was recently declared illegal.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he had asked just before taking another bite of toast.

"Are you the only one here?"

"For the time being. My parents are out."

"And you're an only child."

"That's right."

"Well, then I guess we should get started now, huh? Tell me about yourself, Kyle."

"Excuse me? What are we getting started?"

Regina had managed to smile widely at Kyle while knitting her brows together at the same time. This was her most energized expression, conjuring up the word 'spunky' to Kyle, though he had never used the word himself before.

"I'm here to make you an even better Kyoya!"

And that's how it came to pass that Regina Hoffman was in Kyle Ore's household, staring at a bizarre object in Kyle's kitchen. It was small enough to fit in a person's hand, and appeared to be some sort of electronic device - perhaps even a kitchen utensil. It had a long, thin silver pole coming out of one end, and at the tip was a small metal circle surrounded by what appeared to be a spring.

"That's an Aerolatte Milk Frother." said Kyle absently. Then he smiled, "Want to see how it works?"

Regina was hesitant. She had seen a number of strange things lying around the house as she got the tour from Kyle. Most of it exercise equipment, some of it unidentifiable, and a few things she was sure she saw advertised on TV. The milk frother was the first thing she had actually asked about.

"Um. Sure. But why would you need to froth milk for anyway?"

"Oh, for latte's and things. Hence 'Aero_latte.'_"

"Oh." Regina sat quietly then as Kyle began brewing the coffee for their drinks - soon to be prepared by the strange Aerolatte machine.

"So, Regina. My turn to ask a question."

"Go for it."

"How did you find my house?"

"You know the answer to that already."

"Tom?"

"Of course."

"I should have guessed. Why did you say I was too good to be true when you got here?"

Regina bristled. She was looking at Kyle with a fierce disappointment that worried him just a little, "Well, if you were really anything like Kyoya-kun, you wouldn't have been conscious when I rang the doorbell."

"But I'm not Kyoya."

"Exactly! You seemed so like him, too! Now I find out you'll probably need more work than any of them!"

Kyle considered this while pouring their coffee.

"Observe," he said, "Just put the whisk end of the Aerolatte Handheld Milk Frother into the drink, turn on for twenty seconds, and presto! You now have a delicious frothy latte."

"You sound like an infomercial spokesperson."

"You think so?"

Regina hadn't meant that as a compliment, so she didn't like it that Kyle was smiling. Oh yeah, they had a lot of work to do.

"So, I take it that Kyoya isn't an early riser?"

"No way! And he certainly wouldn't be up at eight o'clock on a Saturday! Let alone be so sociable."

"Uh-huh. So you were hoping I'd be completely out of it? Still asleep even?"

"Yes. And you weren't. So you've effectively shattered my image of you as Kyoya."

"I see. So if you didn't expect me to be awake, why did you come to my house so early?"

Regina stared at him, then blushed, "Well, I was kinda hoping to catch you looking all sleepy and rumpled. And a grouchy Kyoya is… well…"

"You really don't have to finish that thought."

Regina began to offer a smile to quell his embarrassment, but it froze when she saw another strange item on the countertop.

"That's not one of those Magic Bullet things, is it? The mixer thing they advertise on TV?"

"Actually, it is. The personal, versatile countertop magician. Do you want to see how that works, too?"

"No, that's okay." Regina said quickly, "The infomercial did a good job of that already. And I hated it, it's so phony."

"Really? I thought they did a good job of advertising it. I mean, it made me want to buy it."

Regina thought about that last statement. Since she had been in Kyle's house, she had seen an Ab Lounge, a Fushigi Ball, and countless CD collections the likes of which are only sold through television commercials. There was even a Shake Weight in the home gym belonging to Kyle's parents. It was as if Kyle's house were a museum dedicated to As-Seen-On-TV products.

"Wait…" she said, "So did _you_ buy this stuff? I mean the Magic Bullet and that other thing. Your parents didn't buy it?"

"No. My parents never buy anything but exercise equipment and fitness clothes. They're a little fanatical about it actually. I bought most of the cool gadgets and things you see around the house."

Cool gadgets? This was more serious than Regina had first imagined. She had been ready to chalk up all the embarrassing products to Kyle's absent and probably crazed parents, but to Kyle? Could this cool and collected guy really be addicted to TV shopping?

While meditating over this, Regina noticed a Slap Chop. She would have said something, but she feared Kyle would burst into a perfect impersonation of Vince, the Slap Chop spokesperson.

"This is a problem, Kyle." she said in her matter-of-fact fashion, "How much do you spend on this stuff?"

"How much? Oh, I don't know. We've got a lot of money to spend, so I never really thought about it before."

"That's no excuse! Kyoya may be rich, but he would never spend his money so carelessly! He's virtually the club's treasurer!"

"Is that so? Good thing I'm not Kyoya."

Regina quickly jumped up from the barstool she had been sitting on and slammed her hands down onto the island counter, "That's not acceptable! I thought you were as dedicated to this cause as Thomas! To think you would so cavalierly deny your destiny when you should be striving to embrace your alter-ego!"

Kyle couldn't have appeared more shocked than if Regina had slapped him across the face. He didn't deal with emotional outbursts well. He gawked at her before saying, "I'm just going along with Tom like I do every year! I never said I was a perfect choice for Kyoya. Besides, I don't see how my spending habits are going to become a problem for a stupid costume contest."

"Stupid? Well, I'll have you know _Kyle, _that the con isn't just about the contest! If you'll be cosplaying then you are assuming the identity of a much loved and recognizable character! There will be fans there to see you, and they will mock a poor cosplayer! And if you are good, if you do meet all the physical requirements to be Kyoya, then if you don't play the part for those fans then you will be breaking hearts! That is the responsibility of a cosplayer! That is the role you will have to fill!"

At the end of her speech, Regina was panting. She had said everything in one breath. By comparison, Kyle was absolutely silent. Regina had seemed to shock him into a stupor, but slowly he roused himself out of it to say, "Regina… Kyoya wouldn't happen to be your favorite host, would he?"

Regina blushed, but put on a brave face with a defiant air, "So what if he is?"

Kyle smiled somewhat sinisterly, "So when you say I'd be breaking hearts, you really mean that I'd be breaking your heart?"

Regina said nothing. Kyle turned partially away from her and leaned on the counter, assuming a thoughtful pose that was very like Kyoya.

"Interesting… I think I understand Tom's enthusiasm now as well as yours." He glanced at Regina over his shoulder. "I'll make you a deal," he said, "I'll do my best to refrain from excessive buying until the con if you agree to not make anymore unexpected visits to my house. Let's keep it confined to Tom's meetings, shall we?"

Regina nodded, "Sure. But I gotta say, you'd be a lot easier to take seriously if you weren't still wearing a Snuggie."

"And I would take you more seriously, Regina, if you weren't dressed like a 6 year old's toy doll."


	12. Sections 17&18: The Twins, Mori, Hunny

Section 17: Brothers

"Henry, could you pass the salt please?"

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean, no."

Keith frowned at his brother, but he didn't seem angry. Instead, he simply seemed hurt by his brother's blunt refusal.

"Why are you being such a jerk?" he asked, "All I wanted was salt. You've never had a problem giving me what I wanted before."

Henry glanced at his brother with concern on his face, "Wait… Keith, it isn't like I'm mad or anything…"

"For god's sake, I'll pass the boy the salt," said Mr. Hawkins gruffly. He paused in the middle of trying to cut his very rare steak in order to lift the salt-shaker towards his son.

"No, Dad!" Henry shouted, "He can't have any! He's already had some!"

Henry knocked the salt-shaker out his father's hand. It flew dramatically through the air and bounced against the dining room wall only to shatter on the hard wood floor.

"Christ! What's gotten into you, Henry?" cried Mr. Hawkins.

"Sorry, Dad. I'll clean it up."

"Damn right you will…"

"Henry," said Mrs. Hawkins quietly. She seemed somehow amused by her family, though her motherly instincts were still on high alert, "What's so bad about your brother having a bit of salt?"

"He's already had some." Henry said simply, "He eats too much as it is. You guys may not notice, but I do. It isn't good for him."

"So, you were just worried about me?" Keith asked, visibly touched.

Henry smiled softly at his brother and clasped his shoulder, "Well, yeah. I always worry about you."

Mr. Hawkins swallowed a bit of mashed potato and stared quizzically at his sons, "What's gotten into you two lately? You've been acting all… touchy-feely."

"I think it's sweet," said Mrs. Hawkins, "Like when they were little. Do you remember how if one got sick the other would try to play nurse and make him feel better?"

"I remember how oftentimes the one would catch the same illness the other had. Then we had two sick boys instead of one. Both contagious."

"Then I would have to stay home and take care of them both."

"If they start doing that again, I'll stay home from work to watch 'em. I could use the vacation."

"I think they're old enough to take care of themselves now, dear," replied Mrs. Hawkins. Then an idea suddenly struck her, "You boys aren't sick, are you?"

""What? No mom. We feel fine.""

"Then what has you acting so strange?"

"Nothing. I just don't think Keith should eat so much salt."

Mr. Hawkins scoffed, "You boys are in the prime of health, much sports as you play. A little salt isn't going to hurt you, Keith."

"I know dad," Keith said, then, "May we be excused?"

Henry glanced at his brother, noticing the obvious implication that he was to leave the table as well. Their mother dismissed them casually, saying not to worry about the salt-shaker. She would clean it up after dinner.

Keith and Henry cleared off their dishes and left them in the kitchen. Only once they had gone up to the top of the stairs and Henry had closed the door of Keith's room did Keith turn around and speak to him.

"What was that all about?"

"Practicing. Tom wants us to practice, remember?"

"Sure I do. But salt? You couldn't think of something else?"

"What's wrong with salt? Too much sodium could kill you, y'know. And you do eat a lot of it."

Keith shook his head disapprovingly at his brother, "Jeez, you really do need practice. I can't believe that's the best you can do! Hikaru would never flip out over something like salt."

"I thought I was Kaoru?"

"No, I'm Kaoru, obviously. You're loads more like Hikaru."

"There's a difference?" Henry shrugged, "Okay, whatever. But why wouldn't Hikaru care about Kaoru's sodium intake? The Japanese use a ton of salt in their food. That's why they've got problems with high blood pressure over there."

Keith raised his eyebrows, "Oookay? I'm going to ignore how random that was and get back to the subject. Hikaru and Kaoru are all about being cute to girls. High blood pressure isn't cute. You have the right idea, but stick to things like… Like what mom was talking about. When we were little we did used to try to take care of each other."

"We still do take care of each other." Henry protested.

"Well, yeah. We do. So stick to those kind of stories. They can be embarrassing too, that way I'll like I'm ashamed and you can rush to make up for it. It seems they do that kind of stuff a lot."

"Okay," said Henry, mentally wishing he had a notebook so he could write some of this down.

Keith grabbed a small spiral notebook from his desk and handed it to Henry, "Here, write this down."

Henry took it from him without a smile or a word. The brothers were used to knowing what each other were thinking. Henry quickly scribbled the short message _embarrassing topics, think cute, _then he looked expectantly at Keith.

"Any other notes for me?"

"Well, you could make more allusions to what we do when we're alone. That should really get the girls going."

"Girls are going to get excited by us talking about playing video games?"

"What? No!"

"Shooting hoops?"

"No, Henry. Not what we really do when we're hanging out, but what Hikaru and Kaoru _imply_ that they do."

"Oh, right… Why do I have to do all of this anyway?"

"Because Kaoru always takes a backseat Hikaru_. _I mean, technically he's a lot smarter and craftier than Hikaru, but Hikaru is the more impulsive one. And Kaoru is willing to let his brother take the lead."

Henry frowned, "You're just saying that cause you're Kaoru. It isn't fair."

Keith ignored his brother and walked over to the bed, flopping down onto the comforter. Henry followed him, collapsing on the bed as well. Together, they stared at the ceiling for a few minutes in comfortable silence. Henry thought he was about to fall asleep when a thought occurred to him. He rolled over onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow.

"Hey Keith, I don't think we should practice at home anymore. Mom and Dad will start to flip out if we keep it up. They're already suspecting something's wrong."

"Okay. So where do we practice? Should we just wait for Tom's meetings?"

"Not good enough. Regina will flip if we're not making any progress. That and…"

"And what?"

Henry grinned at his brother, "And, well. Hilary will be there, too."

Keith smiled, "And you want to impress the little actress with your own acting?"

"Yeah, why not? And she's a big fan of Host Club, so she'll really like to see our progress, don't you think?"

Keith thought about that. He remembered hearing Hilary say the other day that her favorite host was Tamaki, but he wasn't sure he wanted to break the news to Henry. He seemed so excited about the club, finally, and Keith didn't want to ruin it.

"Okay, I agree. With everything. But that means the only other place we'll have to practice is at school."

"I can deal with that if you can."

"Sure. Anything you want, brother."

* * *

Section 18: Bonding

Tyler swallowed the last dregs of his root beer and crushed the can in his fist. He then threw it carelessly over his shoulder to join the other aluminum cans and empty chip bags. He was not alone in clearing the house of its snack food and carbonated drinks. Michael had done his fair share of consuming as much sugar as possible.

The two boys shared a sofa together. Tyler's long legs were stretched out in front of him as he slumped down into the soft cushions. Michael was cross-legged a comfortable distance from him, leaning down over his lap with his face inches from the glowing screen of his Nintendo DS.

Such had been their situation for the past two hours. With the exception of a few bathroom breaks and snack runs, they hadn't moved. This afternoon had been dedicated entirely to videogames.

It was starting to take a toll on Tyler.

"Hey. Hey, Mike. Mike, I'm bored."

"Yeah, you only say that cause my machamp is kicking your golbat's ass."

"How long are we going to play Pokemon?"

"If you want we can switch back to Super Smash Bros."

"No, I've had enough of winning that game," Tyler said with a smirk, "I want to do something else."

"Like what?"

"Like go outside."

"What's there to do outside?"

"Oh, lots of stuff. Like, we could go for a run. Or take our bikes out. Or go to the park and see if Mr. Tetsuya is around. Or you could show me some of those martial arts skills you claim to have."

"Claim? I happen to be the best in my division."

"Okay, so show me what you got!"

Michael looked up from his game and said childishly, "I don't feel like it."

In response, Tyler let his head fall back onto the couch and groaned as if the life were being pulled out of him through the chest.

"But I'm bored! I can't just sit here all day! I need… I need adventure. I need action. I need tomfoolery!"

"Alright, fine! What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't…" Tyler suddenly stopped himself and jumped up from the couch. He upset a bowl of popcorn in his excitement, and the contents spilled all over the carpet. Tyler hadn't seemed to notice the mess he was making.

"Let's go find Freya!"

"Freya?" asked Michael, a little alarmed, "Regina's friend? Why would we do that?"

"To help our esteemed leader, of course!" Tyler declared. He grabbed Michael by the wrist and led him toward the front door. Michael voiced his protests while Tyler sat him down on the stairs and began putting his shoes on for him.

"Will you stop that? I can tie my own shoes!" was his first cry, though he made no move to stop Tyler's progress, "We don't even know where Freya is."

"She goes to St. Lawrence, right?"

"Yeah, but it's after school hours, smart one."

"Okay, so you call Regina and find out where she lives. I know she'd know."

"You could be right, but what would we even do with that information? How are we going to convince Freya to come along? That's Thomas's job anyway and PUT ME DOWN YOU CREEP!"

Tyler laughed and placed Michael on his shoulders easily.

"Don't worry! I used to do this with my little brother all the time! Now, let's go to Freya's house!"


	13. Sections 19&20: Renge,Kyoya,Mori,Haruhi

Section 19: Chummy

"Kyle… That's not one of those I-renew bracelets, is it?"

Kyle held up his wrist and pointed to the simple black band that encircled it, "This? Yes, it is as a matter of fact. I just got it today."

Regina frowned at him. Kyle chuckled to himself, knowing without needing to ask what was bothering her.

"Relax. I ordered this thing before your visit last weekend. I haven't bought anything else since then. See? I'm keeping up my side of the bargain."

"Okay," Regina said, instantly more relaxed. She bumped against Kyle's shoulder in a friendly manner, wordlessly indicating that she wanted to stop walking. "I just wish you wouldn't wear it."

"Why not? It's cool."

"Does it actually work?"

"No. I don't think it does. But I like wearing it."

The unlikely pair had been wandering through the downtown stores for a couple hours. Regina was drawing a number of stares for her unashamedly frilly attire, and the presentation was even more shocking when compared to Kyle's simple attire and bookish appearance. Most of their time had been spent walking the streets and window shopping, though Regina had begged a half hour's time to browse the manga shelves of the bookstore, and Kyle insisted on getting something to eat at one of the local restaurants. They were stopped now in front of a unique little store sporting bizarre foreign imports in the window.

Kyle suddenly grabbed Regina by the hand and pulled her closer to the glass.

"Regina, look! Is that what I think it is?"

Regina fought to ignore the fact that he was holding her hand and glanced over the objects in question, trying to identify the one Kyle was fixated on. He appeared to be pointing at jar next to a book on dinosaurs and right in front of the suit of armor.

"Um, you mean the little preserved shark?"

"Yes! A shark in a jar! That's so cool. I gotta get me one of those."

"Why on earth would you need a dead shark?" Regina was worried. Could it be that Kyle's addiction to purchasing useless items was not restricted to infomercial products alone?

She didn't have time to ask him. Her phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

She was answered immediately by the familiar sound of her brother's voice, "Tyler, seriously, would you put me down? People are staring at us."

"So? Like I give a crap what they think." Tyler's voice said clearly in the background.

"Put me down or I'm hanging up and you'll never find out where she is!"

Regina waited while listening to some rustling on the other end of the line. Kyle had thankfully removed his attention from the little dead shark in a jar and looked at her questioningly. She shrugged, mouthing Michael's name to him.

"Regina?" Michael said, "Hey, do you know the address of that Freya girl who came by Thomas's place a couple weeks ago?"

"What? Why do you need to know that?"

"Well, Tyler and I were hanging out and he said…"

"Wait a second, what are you doing with Tyler?" Regina interrupted, excitement coloring her tone, "You guys spending time together? That's fantastic! Hunny and Mori hanging out outside of club activities… I'm so glad that you're taking some initiative in this because I really think that…"

"Yeah, yeah Regina. Could you shut up a second? Listen, we just need Freya's address so if you could…"

"I'm sorry Michael, but I just don't know where… Wait? Mike, hold on a second…" Regina covered her cell phone with her hand. Kyle was gesturing for attention.

"He wants Freya's address?"

"Yeah, you could hear him?"

"She lives at 127 Bisco Street, building A. It's the third apartment for that building."

Regina stared at him, "How do you know all that?"

Kyle smiled, pleased that she would be impressed by his information, "I looked her up after she came to the club. I figured if you were so insistent on her joining us, then I should fid out a little bit about her.

Regina uncovered her phone and spoke into it quickly, "Michael? Her address is 127 Bisco Street. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes."

She hung up before Michael could say anything else. She tucked her phone-charm laden cell into a small handbag, and smiled apologetically at Kyle.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to cut our visit short. Michael and Tyler are headed over to Freya's, and I want to be there to convince her to join us."

"In that case," Kyle said, adjusting his glasses, "I had better come along."

"Do you really want to?"

"Of course. Isn't that my duty as shadow king of the host club?"

Regina was beaming at him, "Let's go!"

* * *

Section 20: Debt

Freya had been spending her Saturday immersed in homework and studying when she was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door. After waiting respectfully for her invitation, her father, Ryan Holbrook, opened the door.

He only opened it a crack, pushing his face around the door's edge, as if afraid to enter the sanctity of his teenaged daughter's room. He gave her his usual friendly smile, although Freya could see signs of fatigue on his face, accentuated by the fact he hadn't shaved yet that day. Nevertheless, he kept his tone upbeat as he addressed his daughter.

"Studying the day away, are we?"

"Just getting some homework done early."

"Ah, and how much homework do you expect to get done with that thing on?" Ryan asked genially, indicating with a nod of his head the tiny color TV sitting atop a plastic storage bin. The setup was tucked neatly nearby the low coffee table in the center of Freya's room, where she usually did her homework. Freya leaned across the table to switch off the Law and Order program.

"It doesn't bother me to have it on," she said, unaffected by her father's teasing, "Besides, I was taking a break. What's up?"

"Well, some friends are here to visit you."

Freya wasn't offended by her father's perplexed tone. She herself was surprised at this news, as she didn't have many friends at her new high school. Unless some old friends from junior high had stopped by, she couldn't imagine who would be visiting her at her apartment.

"Who is it?"

"I didn't think to ask," her father said, "I just told them to come on in and have a seat in the front room."

"Okay, I guess I'll go see who it is and what they want," Freya said, uncrossing her legs and standing slowly. Her father still fidgeted in the doorway.

"I'm going to lie down before going to work," he said. He seemed uncharacteristically shy when he added, "You going to be okay?"

"What? Yeah I'll be fine, Dad. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well… It's just that… They're boys. You've never invited boys over before…"

Freya was surprised, though she tried to hide it from her dad, "I'm sure I can handle them, Dad. You said they were friends, right?"

"Yeah." Ryan broke into a grin, "And they're good-lookin' boys, too! Who'da thought my daughter would have such cute friends?"

Freya blushed furiously and pushed her father into the hall with her, "Dad! Why don't you go take your nap now? We'll keep the noise down, I promise."

Ryan was behaving normally now as he smiled and ruffled his daughter's short hair, "Alright, Little Miss. Have fun with your friends!"

Freya waited until her father had closed his bedroom door before she turned to face the short walk down the hallway. Their apartment wasn't large, and she was embarrassed to think that whoever was visiting could probably have heard every word of their conversation. Her father wasn't very good at keeping his voice down, himself being hard of hearing. What made things worse was the consideration that if her guests were the people she suspected, then she had more reason to be mortified by their hearing anything about her.

Her suspicions weren't inaccurate. Regina was sitting comfortably in the sitting room, and she was accompanied by a few of the boys she had met briefly a couple weeks before.

"Hey, Regina," Freya managed to say almost casually. She nodded to the boys. "Um… So, what brings you to… Um. How can I help you?"

"So formal to your friends!" Regina exclaimed delightedly. Freya said nothing. Regina smiled valiantly through the awkward silence and continued, "Well, I'll get right down to it since you ask. I'm sorry for sort of springing my plans on you unexpectedly like that a few weeks ago. I thought that you wouldn't agree to come if I had been upfront about what my cousin Tom is doing."

"Tom." Freya repeated, "Was he the obnoxiously rude blond guy!"

Tyler burst out laughing, "Wow! She really has him pegged doesn't she?"

That answered Freya's question. She took note of the guy in the glasses disapproving frown. Friend of blond guy, intimidating aura. Michael she knew to be Regina's brother. She glanced quickly at Tyler, who was still chuckling to himself, then she fixed her gaze firmly on Regina. She wasn't sure how Tyler fit into this picture, so best not to deal with him now.

"So what exactly was going on? I sort of skipped out before I wasn't really sure what was happening."

"And who could blame you?" Tyler said loudly, dragging Freya's attention reluctantly back to him. "I would've run away myself if I wasn't bound by honor to stay."

"Tyler. Perhaps you had better let Regina and me handle this?" Kyle suggested calmly. He turned toward Freya, his manner all business and formality. Freya felt instantly intimidated.

"My friend, Thomas Smith whom you've met, is a huge fan of shojo manga. Do you follow me so far?"

"I'm a little confused about the shoe-joe mango part?"

"That's _shojo manga,_" Regina corrected, "It's a predominately Japanese form of graphic novel. There's also the animated version of the art called _anime._"

"What?"

"You know," Tyler interjected again, "Comic books and cartoons with big eyed characters."

"And Pokemon," added Michael.

"Yes," Kyle said, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, "That about covers it. As I was saying, there's fairly alarming fan base for it, and as a result conventions on the subject have become quite popular. Convention goers even dress up as their favorite characters."

Tyler grinned, "Like a Star Trek convention."

"Only much better!" Regina snapped. Her eyes flashed in a silent warning for Tyler to shut up.

"Okay, so I think I can figure the rest of this out," Freya said, "This guy Tom, who is Regina's cousin, wants to dress up? And for some reason you all are dressing up with him?"

"Correct. The theme is Ouran High School Host Club. We are all dressing up as characters from this anime. We're going to enter the costume contest, and this year there is a substantial cash prize for the winners."

Freya looked from Kyle to Regina to Tyler and back again to Kyle. They were all looking to her expectantly, in varying stages of expectation. Freya wasn't accustomed to so much attention, and this visit was going on a little longer than she would have liked.

"I think I can figure out where this is going," Freya said with a sigh as she stood up, "And I can't help you guys. I'm sorry but I'm too busy as it is. I've got a scholarship at St. Lawrence to maintain, and I can't spare the time I need studying in order to hang out with you guys for some convention I know nothing about."

"Well, that's that." Michael said, joining the older kids' conversation, "Can we go now?"

"No we most certainly cannot go now!" Regina shouted, causing Freya to jump involuntarily, "I respect your feelings, Freya, what with not really knowing any of us that well, but I simply will not take no for an answer! The fact is you're a dead ringer for Haruhi Fujioka! We must have you!"

Freya cast a worried glance down the hall, "Could you keep it down please? My dad is trying to sleep. He has to work tonight."

Tyler started, "Your dad works at night?"

"Yeah. What of it?"

"He wouldn't happen to work at a transvestite bar would he?" Regina asked excitedly. Her volume and energy had not dissipated in the least.

"What? No! He's just a bartender."

"Really?" Tyler said curiously. Freya wondered why he was smiling before she looked back to Regina. The other girl seemed only slightly disappointed (for some reason) at hearing that Freya's father didn't work at a tranny bar, and she was quickly recovering, aided as she was by her own determination to get Freya into their bizarre little club.

"You must join us!" Regina stood and grabbed Freya by both hands, "There's simply no one else!"

Freya wrenched her hands free, "I said no! Now please leave!"

Fight or flight kicked in suddenly, and Freya left them standing in her living room as she tore down the hall to the safety of her own bedroom. She knew someone was right behind her, crossing the short distance as quickly as she did, and she was appalled to find Tyler blocking her from closing the door.

"Please just leave. I really have to study."

"Oh no," Tyler said, sidling into the room. He managed to back Freya against the wall, and she soon found herself trapped with his hands firmly planted on either side of her.

"You're not getting out of this, Miss Haruhi-chan. I've been forced to watch anime with this group for weeks, bound as I am by manly obligation. I don't see why you shouldn't have to do the same."

"Maybe because I'm not bound by manly obligation?"

"Ah. You have a point." Tyler said, breaking into a wide grin.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into it, Tyler, but I'm just not interested!" Freya said with as much finality in her tone as she could muster. She lifted her hands to push him back, causing Tyler to step back a pace. Freya spun him around and began directing him to the door by force.

"I have too much homework as it is, and I'm sure I'll be studying whenever this convention thing is going down, so if you and the others would just…"

Freya froze. Her foot had just crushed something with a very sinister crunch. Tyler peered over his shoulder at her curiously, and the two of them exchanged bewildered stares before Freya lifted her foot to see what she had stepped on.

"My iPhone…" Tyler said, stooping down to pick up the mangled remains of the device. Freya grew pale, but Tyler hadn't noticed. "Must've slipped out of my pocket," was all he said.

"I'm so sorry, Tyler! I didn't even notice it. I promise I'll pay for a replacement."

"No need, no need." Tyler said, "It was an accident. Neither of us is to blame. It was brand new though…"

Something in Tyler's tone made Freya feel more guilty than reassured, and she said with her usual firmness, "I insist. How much did it cost?"

"Oh, right around three hundred dollars."

"Three hundred…" Freya said faintly. Tyler could literally see the blood drain from her already pale face. Seeing her horror at what was obviously an extravagant price for a girl of her means, Tyler suddenly had an idea.

"Is something wrong, Freya?" he asked innocently, "Can you not afford it?"

"N-No, it's not that it's just…" Freya said weakly, "I'll definitively pay you back. Just… How quickly will you need the money?"

Tyler shook his head, "Oh dear, you can't afford it can you? And I really liked my new iPhone. This really is very disappointing, Freya. But… Say? How about you pay me back another way?"

Freya's look of mortified concern shifted rapidly into one of suspicion, "Do you have something in mind?"

"Well, it seems to me the cost of a con registration and a hotel room split between the lot of us would be much more within your means than a three hundred dollar iPhone."

"No. I'm sure I can think of something else."

"What? Petition you dad who works two jobs for the money? Or maybe you'll get a part time job yourself, though I wonder what that would do to your GPA, not to mention your scholarship to St. Lawrence…"

"H-How do you know my dad works two jobs? I never mentioned that, did I?"

"Don't worry about it." Tyler said with a snide smirk, "Just think about the look on your dad's face if you told him about this little incident."

"Okay, okay!" Freya said, "I get it. You'll really forgive me for breaking your phone if I agree to this… Thing?"

"Anime convention. Yeah. And you have to come to our meetings, just like I have to." Tyler's jovial nature returned as he spoke to her, his victory already secured.

"… Fine. I'll have to talk to my dad about it, but fine."

"Great! We'll see you at the next meeting then? Tom," he paused, "You know, Our Wise Blond Leader? Yeah, he'll give you all the info you'll need then."

"Great. I'll get the details from Regina," Freya said like a woman defeated, "Now, can I ask you all to leave? I have homework to do."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure." Tyler said quickly, rushing back into the living room and helping Freya run the others out of the apartment. Regina was furious at being tossed out so unceremoniously, especially considering that she hadn't heard Freya's decision. Tyler had to explain the situation to everyone on the way down.

"Tyler, I could kiss you!" Regina declared once he had finished, "You're just amazing! Though I don't believe your actions matched Mori's personality very well… All the same, you have achieved what we couldn't! Bravo!"

"Sorry to hear about your iPhone though," Kyle said.

Tyler smiled at him, "Oh, I'll take the blame for it with my parents. By the way, I'm jealous of you."

"Of me?" Kyle asked, surprised, "What for?"

"Being Kyoya is a lot more fun than being Mori."


	14. Section 21: Tamaki and Kyoya

Section 21: Mon Ami

"You are absolutely, completely, entirely the greatest friend anyone could ever have ever!" Thomas exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Kyle in a display of affection that the latter found rather excessive.

Kyle had stopped by his friend's house the day following his visit to Freya's, and he had just finished reporting the result of that affair to Thomas. Now the tall, slender blond was bouncing off the walls in his excitement. Literally. He had jumped up at a funny angle when he first heard the news, and ended up slamming into his bedroom wall. That didn't seem to be distracting him tough, and he continued to hold Kyle in a tight and uncomfortable bear hug.

"It wasn't really my doing, you know. Morrison did all of the… coaxing. I barely did anything but provide the girl's address."

"Such modesty!" Thomas declared, finally releasing his friend. He was still bursting with joy, and expressed himself by doing an odd sort of jumping dance that was very difficult not to laugh at. Somehow, Kyle managed to control himself. He merely smiled at his friend and continued, "Really, it was Tyler in the end who got Freya to join us. Though it was a little underhanded of him, I'm not complaining. Once you have decided on the next meeting, I can convey the details to Regina and she will let Freya know."

"Why can't I just call Regina and tell her myself?"

Kyle shrugged, "Whatever works for you."

"Great," said Thomas, grabbing a tape measure from his desk, "Then I don't want to waste any time getting her up to speed. We'll have the meeting next weekend. In the meantime, I'll have Regina lend her some volumes of the manga. She should be able to get through a few volumes by the end of the week."

Thomas was now calm enough to turn back to the work he had been doing before Kyle's arrival. He had his room set up as a temporary tailor's room, complete with sewing machine and rolls of fabric stacked against the wall. He held up the tape measure in his hand and motioned for Kyle to come closer.

"I've been working on the costumes, as you can see. Everyone can buy black slacks and a white shirt, of course, but the blazer and tie are a bit trickier. Mind if I get your measurements?"

"Sure," said Kyle. He slipped off his coat and tossed it casually across the room.

Thomas froze. He made no move to begin the measurement process, and he was staring at Kyle with a distant gaze.

"Tom? What is it?"

Thomas shook is head and smiled as if embarrassed, "Sorry, I just had the weirdest sense of déjà vu. Never mind, let me just get these out of the way."

Thomas got his numbers without incident, and Kyle was soon free to inspect the fabric of choice.

"Powder blue…" he said with some disdain.

"Now, Kyle. We've talked about the color before. It's exactly the same as what the hosts wear, and it will look fine once the outfit is all put together."

"I know but… Just seeing it in real life… Powder blue in person. It's a little… Well, you got some nice quality fabric though, from the looks of it."

Thomas tossed his blond mane of hair proudly. "I'm really out-doing myself with this one, Kyle," he said with no hint of modesty, "These aren't going to be costumes. These blazers will make up a real, functional uniform."

"I should certainly hope so. I would like to think everything I wear is functional clothing." Kyle said, stooping to the floor so he could peek under Thomas's bed.

"H-Hey! What are you doing?"

Kyle stood up calmly, "Just seeing if you were stashing anymore yaoi manga under your bed."

"No! I'm not, so stop looking. I told you, I only read it once cause I was curious. And for your information, I've stopped reading fan fiction as well."

Kyle blinked and tilted his head to one side, "Fan fiction? What's that like?"

Thomas stared momentarily at his friend before answering, "Trust me, Kyle. You don't want to know."


	15. Bonus Story: Michael's DS

Author's Note: I have been feeling very guilty for not updating my story as I ought, especially since the last section that I posted was such a short one. The new section is taking a bit longer than I expected. So, to make it up to you readers out there, I decided to do a really quick bonus story with the characters, sort of like the extra episodes at the end of some Ouran High School Host Club volumes. This one is modeled after "Hunny's Bun Bun." Please enjoy it for now, and the next legitimate sections will be posted soon. ~ jinxauthor

* * *

Bonus Story 1: Michael's DS

Tyler stared at the shattered remnants of what was once a child's prized possession. The Nintendo DS was not just broken, it was annihilated.

He had been playing Cooking Mama for a full three hours before tragedy struck. His eyes were burning by then from forgetting to blink and from staring at the small lighted screen of the gaming device. He had already completed half of the recipes and had achieved the gold status in every one so far. Unfortunately, he became stuck on a particular recipe that called for rice washing.

Perhaps it was the three straight hours of game play, perhaps it was his need to move around despite his gaming addiction. Either way, for some reason Tyler couldn't manage to clean the rice without spilling it, and it was starting to get on his nerves.

Again and again he had tried to clean the virtual rice. Sometimes he just couldn't swish the bowl around fast enough. Other times the rice had spilled when he tried to dump the water. And every failure made him more and more tense.

Finally, in a fit of anger, Tyler had launched the DS across the room where it dented the wall and fell to the floor. Still, the device was relatively unharmed. But Tyler wasn't done with it yet. Still fuming, and caught up in a state of frustrated mania, Tyler had rushed across the room and stomped on the DS as hard as he could. He had then thought up the wonderful idea of tossing it in the microwave for a few seconds. This may have helped break the microwave as well as fry the delicate pieces of the toy. After beating the pieces of the DS with a hammer for good measure, Tyler remembered that he had borrowed the device from Michael.

"Opps…"

Now, Tyler was faced with a dilemma. He couldn't very well return the DS to Michael in this state, and he wasn't sure how to explain the situation to him.

"Take care of it, he said," Tyler muttered to himself under his breath, "I don't normally trust anyone with it he said! Whatever you do don't break it he said!"

Tyler tossed the broken fragments into the garbage and began looking for his cell phone.

"And what did I say? I said, 'no problem, Mike! You can trust me!' And then what do I do? I break the damn thing!"

Tyler snapped open his cell phone. This little bit of technology happened to be a rinky-dink pay as you go phone that was serving as a replacement for the iPhone that Freya stepped on. As he quickly pulled up Thomas's number from his list of contacts, he reflected on how ironic it was that now he was in a position to be indebted to someone for a similar reason.

"Tom? Hey, It's Tyler."

"Hello, Tyler!" Thomas's cheerful voice exclaimed on the other end of the line, "Whatsup?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just hanging around the house… Say, you wouldn't happen to know what Michael would do if, say, I broke his DS would you?"

Thomas was silent on the other end of the phone. Very softly, Tyler thought he heard him whisper, "What?"

"Tom? Well, what do you say? Cause I may have… sort of… inadvertently caused damage to the DS. The situation was really totally out of my control."

"Run!" Thomas shouted suddenly, "For god's sake run Tyler! And go someplace where he'll never ever find you! GO! GO IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, spunky," Tyler said, regaining some of his good humor, "It can't be all that bad. Michael's just a little guy, after all. I'm sure he's not that bad to deal with when he's angry."

"He's a ninth degree black belt in tae kwon do and karate!"

"Is he really? Huh…"

"Tyler, this is serious! Is it broken beyond all repair?"

Tyler stared at the trash can that served as the coffin of the poor, broken DS. A smell indicating burnt plastic and metal was beginning to seep out of it.

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"Then take my advice and get the hell out of town."

"I'm sure if I just explain that Cooking Mama is the devil then he'll understand."

"Oh god. I'm calling Kyle."

Tyler started to say "No, don't call him!" when Thomas hung up.

Tyler closed his own phone and sighed dismally. It was time to do something that Tyler normally didn't bother doing. It was time to use his brain.

Surprisingly, and despite being out of practice, and idea popped up into Tyler's brain that was so perfect, even Michael would be pleased with the outcome. The DS wasn't so precious that it couldn't be replaced. Tyler was prepared to see his friend, but first, he needed to go shopping.

* * *

About an hour later, Tyler was standing in Michael's living room, trying to act nonchalant. He held his hands behind his back in what he thought was a casual pose, and prepared his speech.

"Michael," he began, terribly aware of the staring gaze of his young friend. Michael had already seemed to divine that something was wrong, "There comes a time in every man's life when his friends may fail him, and that man must seek to forgive them at any cost, lest he lost something very precious to him."

"Oh crap. What have you done?" Michael asked. Then his eyes widened. With the foresight uncannily available to a nervous person who has lent out one of their more treasure things, he quickly added, "This doesn't have anything to do with my DS does it?"

Tyler's face fell like that of a surgeon informing the patient's family that their poor relative didn't make it through. Awaiting the blow that was sure to come to him, he slowly nodded his head.

"No way! You broke it?" Michael said. His voice remained surprisingly calm, but his face had started to darken in a most menacing way.

"Yes. I did. But it's okay!" Tyler said hurriedly. He pulled one of his hands from behind his back to reveal a brand new blue DS, "I bought this for you today to make up for the one I broke."

"You idiot!" Michael growled, "I don't want a new one! I wanted you to be careful with mine! Now I'll have lost all the progress I'd made on my games! I can't believe you!"

"I'm sorry Michael. I thought this would make up for everything." Tyler said with feigned sheepishness. He then broke into his customary smile and revealed the contents of his other hand, "Does it make it better that I also got this?"

Michael's eyes fell onto the game-containing box and he gasped, "Pokemon Black and White!"

He seized the game and the DS from Tyler as if he feared they would also be broken. Tyler smiled at his joy, sensing a job well done.

"Satisfied?"

"Oh yes! You're forgiven. This totally makes up for you breaking my old DS."

"Cool. So could I borrow your new one sometime?"

"NO!"

Tyler was laughing at the horror on Michael's face at the very suggestion when Regina came traipsing down the stairs. She stared at the pair of them with a slight frown on her face before focusing her attention on Tyler.

"Oh, hey Tyler. Did you come here to return my Cooking Mama game?"

Tyler's smile vanished from his face in an instant. He looked at Regina with a stupefied expression. He had forgotten about Cooking Mama.

"Um… Regina… Well, there come a time in every woman's life when…"

End of Bonus Chapter 1


	16. Sections 22&23: The Host Club

Section 22: Preparing the Hosts

Kyle surveyed Thomas's spread of snacks and entertainment for the day's activities approvingly. The first few episodes of the anime were waiting by the TV in anticipation of their guests and the coffee table was covered with a fancy tea set and silver trays of pastries and tarts of near professional quality. Kyle wondered if Thomas had bought them for the occasion, or if he had made the snacks himself.

"I take it chips and soda weren't enough for today's meeting?" he asked with playful reproach. He wasn't really going to complain about eating delicious desserts, after all.

Thomas frowned as he looked out the floor to ceiling living room windows that faced the street, "Of course not. Haruhi is coming today and I want her to be given a proper host club experience.

Kyle supposed this was why Thomas had decorated the room in about a hundred living roses. There was a bouquet on the coffee table, as well as bouquets on all other flat surfaces. Rose petals littered the floor and garlands of roses adorned every door and archway. Kyle plucked one of the long stemmed red beauties out of a nearby vase, and twirled it carefully between his fingers. He examined its blossoms through his glasses while talking to his friend.

"Why? Freya is to be a host as well, not a guest."

Thomas said nothing. He remained fixed at the widow, crossing his arms and leaning lightly against the frame, his back to Kyle.

His friend sighed and sat on the sofa. Depositing the rose in the vase on the coffee table, he wondered if he could sneak a cookie without Thomas noticing.

"Are we making them drink tea today, then?"

"Of course," Thomas answered a little testily, "Tea is the only drink acceptable for the host club's guests."

"Tom, what is it that's bothering you? You're acting nervous."

"Oh, Kyle, you always see right through me!" Thomas cried as he abruptly broke away from the window. He was almost instantaneously at Kyle's side on the couch, clutching his friend's shirt and bewailing his predicament. This astonishing change of attitude was quite a shock to Kyle, compared to Thomas's quiet impatience of a moment before.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do when I see Freya! I'm afraid I didn't make such a good impression the last time I saw her."

"Oh _really._ Is _that_ what you think?"

"This may come as a surprise to you, Kyle, but people don't always take to me instantly. Sometimes they need time to grow accustomed to my great personal beauty and charm. I can't blame them really. Sometimes even I am taken aback by my own perfection…"

Kyle rolled his eyes, "Modest too…"

"But, Kyle! I fear that Freya is of the sort who is put off by me at first! And worse yet, I don't know how to act when we're in our roles! I'm supposed to be Tamaki. But which Tamaki? "Am I the Tamaki who thinks of the host club as a family? Am I the Tamaki who acts as Haruhi's second father - nay - father to the whole host club? Or am I the Tamaki who is slowly realizing he loves Haruhi, and must somehow work out a way to make her like him too - little suspecting that she is already in love with him! Tell me Kyoya! What am I to do? Who am I to become?"

After the big blond baby that was Thomas Smith finished crying to his mother, or rather his best friend, Kyle took a few minutes to contemplate his words in silence. After clearing his own head after such a verbal attack, Kyle calmly pushed Thomas's hands away and straightened himself out, effectively reminding his friend to compose himself as well.

"Isn't this something you should be discussing with Regina?" Kyle asked after some reflection, "She knows more about this than I do. I'm sure she'd have some ideas."

"Kyle, don't be ridiculous! Regina fully expects me to have this character down already. Do you realize the kind of beating I'll get from one of her parasols if I tell her I have no idea how to play Tamaki?"

"Well, how 'bout Hilary? If this is all about getting into character, just ask the actress how it's done."

Thomas blushed, "I can't ask Hilary."

"Why not? I thought you guys were good friends?"

"It isn't that. It's just… I can't admit to Hilary that I'm having trouble. I want her to be impressed by my acting skills."

Kyle crossed his arms and leaned back into the cushions of the couch, a smug look on his face, "Ah, so I see. Well, Tom, it seems to me that you must meet with Freya first and then see what feels natural to you."

Thomas seriously considered this piece of advice. It didn't take long for a smile to once again grace his features, and he thanked Kyle warmly for his wisdom.

"Of course I shall have to wait to meet with Freya first and foremost!" he agreed, "Our characters are meant to play off of each other! I can't harmonize with her if I work out my angle on my own! Wonderful work, Kyoya."

"No problem, _Tamaki._"

The young women in question showed up together. Regina tapped lightly on the door just before opening it herself and letting the others in after her. Michael was there too, lagging somewhat behind the others.

"Hello, hello!" Regina said cheerfully, tossing her things to the side and directing Freya to do the same with her coat.

Regina was wearing a new style of Lolita fashion today. Kyle was a little surprised to see the camouflage pattern of her poofy skirt, and the short, fitted military jacket that graced her small form. A military cap was pinned to her straight hair at a jaunty angle, and the whole of her outfit gave her the obvious authority of a general preparing for battle - albeit an extremely cute and frilly battle. Kyle was immediately concerned. Regina was clearly dressed in preparation for the drills she would have the boys run through today.

Freya, for her part, was dressed humbly in a dark pair of warm, comfortable pants and a simple black button-up blouse. While her coat ended up lying on the stairs next to Regina's cloak, her stripped scarf remained wrapped around her neck. She had a couple of green berets in her hair to keep it out of her face, and Thomas couldn't help but notice how much she didn't look like a boy today. In fact, he was so busy looking at her to see how she liked everything, that he didn't spare a glance for Hilary, who was busy hanging up her coat properly and exclaiming how much she liked the roses.

"Wow, Tom! What's with all this? For a minute, I thought I had actually walked into Music Room 3! Are these real roses?"

"The smell is a little overwhelming…" Freya said, referring to the fragrance emitting from the many blossoms. She covered her nose with the scarf.

Thomas, sparing a glance at Kyle for encouragement, launched into action.

"Hello and welcome! I'm so glad to see you all," He said with the gracious and unaffected air of a true gentleman, "Freya, might I personally welcome you to our first meeting as a full host club! And of course, I apologize for my behavior before. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Thomas was extending a hand to Freya, which she accepted cautiously. His speech was very pretty, though she was sure he must have practiced it. Still, it was said with such sincere feeling that she could have almost taken him seriously.

Freya conceded to forgive Thomas, and he was all in fine sprits again after that point. He gave Kyle a proper introduction, and soon the other members of the host club were arriving and exchanging salutations like the friends they were quickly becoming.

Thomas was anxiously watching Freya. While the boys had had plenty of time to get to know one another, Freya was new to the scheme. He was afraid lest she feel left out of the chatter before the meeting officially began, but he needn't have worried. Keith had turned away from the conversation between Henry and Hilary, and he was now engaged in speaking with Freya.

Thomas was incredibly pleased to see how well she fell into conversation with the others, but when he noticed the manner in which Keith would speak to Freya, their heads close and their eyes occasionally flashing in his direction, he felt that it was time to start the meeting.

"Okay, everyone!" Thomas said, clapping his hands together for attention. The others grew silent immediately. Freya was staring at him with a curious expression, and Keith was smiling at him mischievously. He leaned toward his brother and whispered something in the twin's ear that made him stifle his laughter. Thomas blushed.

Repressing his own curiosity, Thomas continued, "I think we can really begin in earnest today. We've seen enough of the anime together, and I think we've all had an opportunity to read most of the manga." Here he paused and smiled at Freya, "Have you had any time to read the manga, Freya?"

"Yeah. Regina let me borrow the first five volumes."

"Oh, good. So… Is there anything you don't understand?"

"Well, I think I understand Haruhi pretty well… but I think I'll just see what you guys do before I ask any questions."

"And what exactly are we doing?" Tyler asked suddenly. He had been diligently practicing the difficult task of not talking, and this was the first he'd spoken since he had arrived, "I thought we'd just be finishing the anime today. And I wanna know who's got the fifteenth volume of the manga cause I gotta know what happens next!"

"Fifteenth?" Henry asked, "You're that far already? I haven't even read the ninth volume yet."

"Silence, all of you!" Regina commanded. She made sure to punctuate her sentence with a sharp rap on Tyler's head. She seemed to single him out on purpose, punishment for speaking perhaps. And the boys did fall silent as Regina and her fluffy camouflage skirt began to pace back and forth in front of them. Thomas was unceremoniously pushed from his spot of authority in the front of the group, and he dejectedly sat in one of the armchairs with his fellow hosts.

"I told Freya to expect a demonstration of your characters so that she could get a first hand feel of what the host club is like. This is also a perfect opportunity to practice acting in character. Remember, at the con you will be expected to be in character and ready to pose for pictures at any given moment, so you should already be thinking and living in your characters."

Regina paused in her pacing and pointed her parasol - likewise decorated in a camouflage pattern - at the group of hosts, "Today you will be acting the role of your hosts with Hilary as your customer. Please treat her well."

Hilary acknowledged her cue with a smile. She rose from her seat between Henry and Michael and placed herself opposite the group. Regina and Thomas worked together to pull some chairs out of the dining room. These they placed before the expectant and nervous audience with a small side table between them. Hilary sat in one of the chairs so as to be clearly seen by her friends, and the illusion was complete - a happy customer waited at a rose-laden table for her hosts to arrive.

"Thomas!" Regina shouted, "Lead your men into battle! You're up first, so set a good example!"

* * *

Section 23: The Hosts Are Tested

"Would you care for something to eat, princess?"

"Oh yes, please! But… There's so much! What would you suggest, Tamaki?"

"Anything you choose is sure to be delicious! How could they be anything otherwise, when they were made with your sweetness in mind?

"Oh my! Well, how about this tart, then?"

"An excellent choice! Shall I feed it to you, Princess Hilary?"

Hilary blushed deeply as Thomas gently lifted her chin and offered the dessert. The host club king had eagerly launched into his role, and after only a few minutes of his hosting, Regina could tell he was thoroughly engrossed in his role. The others were less impressed. Keith and Henry were sniggering to themselves, Michael was trying unsuccessfully to covertly play his new Pokemon Black game, Tyler seemed to be falling asleep, and both Kyle and Freya seemed like they were going to be sick.

Regina clapped her hands loudly before Hilary could take her first tentative bite of the tart. Everyone was shocked out of their own private activities by the noise, none more so than Tyler, who jolted awake with a yelp.

Regina ignored him in order to nod approvingly at Thomas, "That's good work, cousin. You play your host role very well. Just the right amount of charm and cheesiness. I like the noncommittal answers you gave to her questions. Very Tamaki."

Thomas was just beginning to beam at this positive praise when Regina added, "Though I think you could up the narcissism a bit. You need to be more full of yourself."

At this point, Kyle gave a start and uncontrollably exclaimed, "_More_ full of himself! He'll be intolerable!"

Again, Regina ignored this interruption. "Of course," she continued, "we have yet to see how you react with the other hosts, but that will come in time. For now, you're dismissed. Next up, Keith and Henry."

"Us?" Henry asked with trepidation, "We have to follow Tom, King of the Phony Compliments? No thanks."

"Come on," prompted his brother, "That's his shtick. We'll do our own thing, just like we've been practicing."

"You've been practicing?" Hilary asked happily. She had already recovered from her stint as Thomas's customer, or perhaps she could just that easily fall in and out of her own character. She was now leaning her elbows on the table, resting her head in her hands coquettishly.

"That's great. I can't wait to see how you guys do."

Henry blushed faintly, and immediately his color deepened when he realized his own embarrassment. Feeling slightly angry at himself for acting so silly (which of course made him redden even more), Henry wordlessly took a seat to Hilary's left. Keith tried not to make his brother's embarrassment worse by acknowledging it with a look or word, but he couldn't help but smile at Henry's turmoil as he took the remaining chair on Hilary's right.

"Alright, begin!"

Henry nodded, looked at Hilary, and said, "Right… um. I don't know how to begin."

Regina frowned, "Can't even begin? Why don't you just try offering your customer some tea?"

"Oh… Right. Um, what kind of tea would you like to drink, erm… Miss?"

He looked to Regina for approval. She was still frowning slightly, but she nodded for the group to continue.

Hilary smiled prettily at Henry and tapped her finger lightly on her lip as if pondering her choices, "I don't know which I want. What kind of tea is your favorite, Kaoru?"

Henry smiled, thankful that Hilary was giving him something to work with, "Actually, I'm Hikaru."

"Oh, I'm so sorry! It's just that you two look so much alike!"

Henry and Keith were actually still easily distinguishable due to their different haircuts, but for the purposes of their practice, everyone played along. Henry was still in the lead, and Keith watched him fretfully as he assured Hilary that "it was fine, they were always being mistaken for one another."

"Does it ever bother you, Hikaru?" he suddenly blurted, "Do you get annoyed when people think that you're me?"

"Don't say that, Kaoru!" Henry exclaimed, "Don't even think it!"

He reached out and grasped his brother's hands, pulling him closer to him over the small table, "What do I care if no one can tell us apart? The only person I need to understand me is you!"

"Hikaru…!"

"Kaoru!"

"Cut!" Regina shouted. She was again nodding her head, but she seemed thoughtful now as she considered what her verdict on their performance would be.

"Good work. I'm impressed." she said, much to the twin's relief, "You covered identity confusion, awkwardly close relationship, and romantically exclaiming each other's names all in a matter of minutes. Very nicely done. However, you probably should have sat on the same side of the table, so as not to be separated. Henry, you had to reach across the table for Keith, and it was too awkward."

Keith raised his hand for attention, "But, Regina. With just one customer, isn't it better that we place ourselves on either side of her?"

"That way, we can utilize the power of symmetry," Henry added.

As if to demonstrate, the twins leaned toward Hilary and turned their faces toward her in mirror images of each other. They each rested one of their arms over the back of her chair, while their free hands clasped together in front of her. ""What would you have us do next, miss?"" they asked with the same voice and intonation.

Hilary flushed at the sight of them so close to her and looked to Regina for her reaction. Regina was very pleased. She clapped her hands and said, "Wonderful! You really have been practicing!"

Keith and Henry both grinned and high-fived. They stood up from the table and returned to their spots. Next, Regina logically turned her attention to Tyler and Michael, and their turn was up.

Tyler jumped up eagerly, but recalling himself, promptly allowed his grin to fall from his face and assumed a more sober appearance. Michael reluctantly saved his game data and placed his DS on the coffee table. As soon as he was free, Tyler scooped him up and placed Michael on his shoulders.

"Whoa!" Michael yelled, thankful for the high living room ceiling. Suddenly, he broke into a childish smile and laughed as Tyler paraded around the room a few times before taking him to the table where Hilary was waiting.

"Hello!" Michael said cheerfully, suddenly appearing not as a sullen teenager but a cute and charming boy, "How are you today, Miss Hilary?"

"I'm very well, thank you Hunny-_sempai,_" Hilary said with a doting smile, "How are you?"

"Thirsty!" Michael said.

"Takashi," he added, remembering at the last second that Hunny never called Mori by his nickname, "Would you pour us some tea?"

Tyler opened his mouth as if to speak, but then he caught himself and snapped it shut. With a very faint and indulgent smile, he nodded silently and placed Michael in one of the chairs as if he weighed nothing. He then focused on preparing tea for his friend and guest.

"Would you like some cake as well, Hunny-_sempai_?" Hilary asked as she indicated a delicious looking piece of strawberry cake.

"No thanks." Michael said sweetly.

The scene ground to a halt as Regina screamed "CUT!" and Tyler nearly dropped the teapot out of surprise.

"What do you mean '_no thanks_?'" Regina screeched as she bore down on her little brother.

Michael had drawn up into a defensive position in his chair. His knees were brought up to his chest, and his arms covered his head as to protect himself from any of the blows he could expect from the parasol.

"I mean that I don't like cake, so no thanks!"

"WHAT? Who ever heard of a Hunny who doesn't like cake, damnit!"

"Well _before _I didn't think it was so bad. But you've been shoving cake down my throat since you found out I was gonna be Hunny! I can't take anymore! Plus, I've got a stomach ache from all the sugar!"

"I don't care what your excuse is!" Regina seethed through clenched teeth, "You've gotta start thinking in character and I will not…"

She broke off suddenly when Tyler moved around the table to stand behind Michael. Placing his hands protectively on the boy's shoulders, he glared down at Regina from his considerable height.

"I don't think Michael… _Hunny _should eat cake if he isn't feeling well. Maybe I told him he should lay off on the sweets today, huh? I think you should take a seat, miss, and wait until we've finished with this customer."

Regina glared right back at Tyler, but Kyle had stood up and placed a hand on her wrist, drawing her away from the confrontation.

"Okay, alright," he said soothingly, "Can we just calm down, people? Regina, how about we let Michael off the hook for today, and we can restrict all sweets to club activities from now on. How about it?"

Regina shrugged off his hand, but she nodded, "Okay fine. Michael, no notes for you. Tyler, you still need work. Mori would never call Hunny 'Hunny.' It's 'Mitzukuni.'"

"Oh, right. I remember."

"And you look so dead-faced. Mori might be tall, silent, and handsome, but don't be such a corpse."

"Are you implying that corpses are handsome? That's sick, Regina."

"… Shut up and take your seats. Kyle, you're up next."

Kyle stared at her, surprise clearly written on his face, "Me? You're not serious."

Regina, her energy actually failing her for once, sighed with exasperation, "Why wouldn't I be serious? You're the only boy left."

Kyle shrugged his shoulders and smiled crookedly at Regina, "Sure, but I didn't think I was actually expected to host. I mean, I've read quite a bit of the manga and I don't think I've ever seen Kyoya do any hosting. Mostly, he just pimps out club merchandise to the girls."

"Please do not use the word 'pimp.' It's unbecoming of Kyoya."

"Regina… Seriously, come on."

Regina shook her head sadly and crossed her arms, "It's just as I thought. You need more work than anyone, Kyle."

"_Excuse me_?"

"Regina!" Thomas suddenly interjected, "Couldn't Kyle go some other time? He's been blind-sided by this I'm sure. I'll work on his character with him later. We could both practice together."

"Fine, fine. Whatever," Regina said with a flippant wave of her hand, "We'll move right along then. Freya, you're up."


	17. Sections 24&25: Haruhi,Kyoya,Tamaki

Section 24: The Natural

"Freya, you're up."

She had known this moment was coming, of course, but Freya still couldn't help but feel some embarrassment as she stood up and prepared to enact her skit with Hilary. In the few seconds it took to walk to the table, her mind raced through everything she had read of the manga so far. She recalled all of the advice Regina had given her. She thought of Haruhi, the girl she was meant to imitate, and she tried to think of her motivation for hosting. Haruhi was only trying to pay off a debt, and as this thought struck her Freya couldn't help but glance at Tyler. He gave her a thumbs up and a smirking grin. The seconds had passed, and Freya took a seat at the little table bashfully, and desperately tried not to blush from embarrassment.

Her efforts were futile. Hilary caught on to her red face instantly, "Haruhi! Is there something wrong? Your face is so red!"

Freya answered her before she had even considered her answer, "I'm just a little embarrassed. I don't know what to say."

"Embarrassed? What is there to be embarrassed about Haruhi?"

"Well, I guess I don't really talk to girls like you much."

This was all completely true. Freya was very quiet and studious, not to mention poor. She went to an all-girls school, but she had no close friends and a tendency to keep her head down. Casual conversation with a girl her own age was a new experience for her.

Luckily, Hilary seemed to take that as a compliment, "You're so sweet, Haruhi! Don't worry, you can just be yourself."

"Myself?" Freya wondered silently. This was going to be harder than she thought. She was a girl dressed as a girl pretending to be a girl dressed as a guy and pretending to be a guy with a girl who knew perfectly well that she was not a guy at all and yet somehow she was supposed to flirt with her or something. Where in all of that did being yourself come into play?

Yet despite her doubts, Freya was able to smile warmly at Hilary, her large brown eyes closing slightly as her head tipped ever so gently to the side. With relief in her voice and shining from her sweet smile, she said only, "Okay. Thank you."

Hilary was clearly overwhelmed by the countenance Freya had assumed. The girl had managed to look exactly like Haruhi for an instant, as if the character had jumped from the pages of the manga and sat directly opposite herself. She looked to Regina to see if she had noticed, and then she glanced at Thomas.

The host club king was beaming wildly at Freya, having eyes only for her. Kyle was leaning over to his friend, and muttered just loudly enough for Hilary to catch the word "natural."

The smallest of frowns wrinkled Hilary's brow.

"Aren't you going to offer me some tea, Haruhi?" she asked, a little coldness creeping into her tone.

"Huh? Oh, yes! I'm sorry. Would you like some tea?" Freya asked without the slightest hint of falsity in her voice. She bent over the tea pot and glanced up at Hilary, asking with her eyes for permission to pour some of the drink into the other girl's cup. Once again, those brown eyes pierced Hilary with their infuriating genuineness, and this time Thomas couldn't help himself.

"Bravo, Haruhi!" He cried suddenly, jumping up from the couch. He crossed the distance between them in a single bound, and had soon swept Freya out of her chair and into his arms.

"Marvelous job! But of course I never should have doubted you! You're so cute! Did everyone see? How could they not? You were perfect, absolutely perfect…"

Thomas kept blathering on and on with his compliments, while the others either erupted into laughter or chatter. All except Hilary who remained seated and silent, not daring to look at the main source of all the commotion. Freya, meanwhile, was both highly embarrassed to be hugged Thomas, and she was fairly certain she was suffocating. Tyler was busy laughing aloud at the sight, and Freya looked to him suddenly for assistance.

At the last minute she remembered to stay in character, "Mori-sempai! Help me! Can't… breathe!"

Thomas was cognizant enough to register her cries for help, and he loosed his grip somewhat and ceased to be in raptures over her. Tyler, for his part, grinned when he caught on to the familiarity of this situation, and he swiftly stood up and whisked Freya away from Tom. Freya weighed about as much as Michael, so he had no problem holding the girl over his shoulder.

"Um, thank you?" Freya said. Not quite realizing what had just happened, "You can put me down."

"CUT!" Regina finally shouted. She had been too thrilled with the outcome of Freya's first performance to stop Thomas before, but now she was once again in control of her senses, "That was perfect, Freya! And getting Thomas and Tyler involved was genius! Well done, everyone! But Tyler, wipe that stupid grin off your face…"

"I don't know, Regina," Hilary said suddenly. She wouldn't look at Thomas or Freya, and instead she focused on twirling her teacup in circles on top of its saucer, "Didn't you see what she did? That's exactly the stunt Haruhi pulled in the first chapter of the manga. Can we really give her credit for such lack of imagination? I mean, the people at the convention are going to want to see something original, am I right?"

Thomas was stung by her words after being so enthusiastic about Freya's performance. He glanced at her first to see how she took the criticism, and found no change in her passive expression. Next he looked to his cousin to she how she reacted to Hilary's bold words.

Regina pursed her lips in deliberation, "You do have a point, Hilary. I think all of our members need to keep that in mind. Using the manga for inspiration is good, but we can't just replay the events as they occurred! Fans of the original will have all ready seen this scenario before."

"I'm sorry," Freya said automatically, "I'll do better next time."

Regina smiled at her indulgently, "Don't worry about it, Freya! You were still perfect! And this was great for a first go. Everyone needs more practice anyway. Besides, this was all just practice. The real test will be seeing you guys interact with each other."

Thomas didn't understand the relief he felt when Regina praised Freya, and he didn't try. Instead, he grasped Freya by the shoulder and smiled at her fondly, "Yeah. That's what we'll be doing for most of the con anyway, when we're all just hanging out. It's really a lot of fun, and I'm really glad you'll be with us this year, Freya!"

"Um, thanks. I'm… Looking forward to it?"

The boys continued to congratulate Freya on a job well done. So distracted were they in talking amongst themselves that none but Henry noticed Hilary grab her coat and slip silently out the door. He continued to think about her for the rest of the day.

* * *

Section 25: Hosting

"This is impossible!" Kyle cried out in frustration.

Thomas watched with helpless pity as his friend buried his head in his arms. He tried to think of something comforting to say, but he was at a loss. He couldn't remember a time when Kyle had been so stumped by a problem. Possibly it had never happened before. Usually, it was Kyle that reassured Thomas, not the other way around.

"I'm sure it's not as difficult as you're making it out to be." Thomas said, unable to think of anything but the most generic advice, "You're just too close to the project. I'm sure if you just step back and take a break the solution will present itself. Want a cookie?"

Thomas offered the snack to his friend, but Kyle, with only one eye visible from where his face was concealed, rejected it with a vicious glare. Thomas self-consciously munched on the cookie himself.

Kyle continued to glare at him as he chewed. He was unspeakably angry at the universe, but suddenly he felt ravenous. He quickly sat up, dragged his lunch tray toward himself, and began devouring his food as if he needed fuel for his hate.

He stuffed his face with cafeteria hamburger and continued complaining, "Ah mean… C'mon. Vat duh hell is she finking?"

"What? Or… _Who_?

Kyle swallowed, "Who? Regina of course. She's insane."

"I don't think she's all that bad."

"She's worse than you."

Thomas blinked at him in confusion and then grew quiet. Rather dejectedly, he poked some of the food on his tray until Kyle took notice of him and corrected himself, "I don't mean that like it sounds. It's just that she's driving me crazy with all this practice stuff! I can't help it if I'm not a perfect _Kyoya. _But she's obsessed! At least you're, y'know. Lenient."

"Well, for what it's worth I think you'll do great."

"Exactly! That's my point! Everyone else can see that I'm a good Kyoya but her! What's her problem?"

Thomas saw an opportunity to help. He clapped his friend encouragingly on the back and said, "You worry too much about what Regina is gonna think. Why don't you just try pretending to be Kyoya again, and not worry so much about what she expects of you? Here, you can practice now. Pretend I'm a customer." Thomas cleared his throat and spoke in an unusually high voice, "Oh my, Kyoya! You're looking handsome as ever today!"

He had meant to be funny, but Kyle just stared at him in an un-amused sort of way.

"I'm not playing this game with you, Tom. We're in public."

Thomas shrugged and went back to finishing his lunch, "I was just trying to help…"

"I know, I know!" Kyle said, clearly exasperated and at the end of his rope. He slumped back in his chair and leaned his head back toward the ceiling. He remained in that position for a few minutes, eyes closed and thinking. After awhile of companionable silence between the friends, Kyle slowly brought his face forward again and began speaking in a calm, hesitating fashion.

"Tom," he said, "Are you almost done with those cosplay costumes?"

Thomas smiled at the odd change in tone and conversation and replied with amiable confusion, "Almost. I just need the guys and Freya try them on. Then I'd like to get them fitted."

Kyle contemplated this news briefly, then nodded, "Do you think we could get that done at the next meeting? Then maybe we could all go out somewhere. And maybe this time we could keep it a secret from Regina?"

"A secret?"

"Yeah. Like, she doesn't have to know about every time we meet, does she? I mean, she isn't even a host. Do you think Mike can manage it without her finding out?"

"I'm sure he can. He _does_ go out for other things besides meetings."

"So, you're saying we can do it? Have a secret meeting, that is? And Hilary doesn't have to know either?"

Thomas nodded slowly, not quite certain what he was promising Kyle, "If you want to, but what exactly did you have in mind?"

Kyle never answered Thomas. He only smiled and rose to leave as the school bell signaled the end of the lunch hour. Thomas watched him walk away, wondering if in that smile he had caught a glimpse of the shadow king of the host club.


	18. Sections 26&27: The Twins

Section 26: Keith's Day Out

Unlike Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachin, Keith and Henry didn't need to spend every waking minute with each other. That's why when Keith awoke one Sunday morning to find his brother had left the house, he was not concerned.

"Morning, Mom," Keith said as he walked into the kitchen to prepare a quick breakfast.

"Morning, sweetheart," Mrs. Hawkins said absently. She was perched on a barstool at the island counter, munching a bowl of cereal slowly as she read the entertainment section of the paper. "Henry went out."

"I saw. He wasn't in his room." Keith began the preparations for toast while his mother eyed him over the edge of her newspaper, "Did he say where he was going?"

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Mrs. Hawkins asked, indicating the two slices of bread browning quickly in the toaster.

"I'm not really hungry, Mom."

Mrs. Hawkins shrugged in the manner characteristic of all moms. It was a gesture that effortlessly conveyed a fine-do-what-you-want-but-don't-come-crying-to-me-when-you're-starving-and-expect-me-to-drop-everything-to-make-something-for-you sentiment.

"He didn't say exactly where he was going, but he did mention a girl. Hilary something or other?"

She meant to speak with an air of unconcern, but she couldn't help but peek at her son again with poorly concealed curiosity, "So who's Hilary?"

Keith smiled. He could feel his mother's inquisitive stare burning into the back of his head, "She's just a friend of Tom."

"Oh… Who's Tom?"

"Just a guy from school, Mom."

Keith spread some butter over the freshly toasted bread and stuffed a piece into his mouth. He turned around and leaned against the counter, watching his mother. She was focused on her paper, trying to look like she had no further interest in her teenaged sons' relationships. Keith smiled.

"I guess if Henry has gone out, maybe I'll go out, too."

"That's nice, dear. With Cameron?"

"No. He's busy today I think."

"Oh. Then with Nico?"

"Nope."

Mrs. Hawkins stared stubbornly at her paper. She was determined not to be one of those nosy, nagging mothers, but she couldn't help asking, "So, who do you think you'll go out with today?"

"She's no one you know, Mom." Keith said, heavily emphasizing the 'she.'

"Okay, well have fun." Mrs. Hawkins said. Keith knew she wouldn't ask any more questions, but she would play this same game again when Henry came home. She'd try to find out from him about the mystery girl Keith was seeing.

"Okay, I'm off!"

"Wear gloves! It's freezing outside!"

Keith didn't need his mother's command to put on warm winter clothes. As soon as he stepped outside he felt the chill air seep past the first layers of his clothing, and he paused on the threshold to watch his breath create little clouds that quickly disappeared. Snow hadn't yet fallen this year, but the days were quickly approaching winter break. Keith smiled to himself as he began walking. Christmas was coming, and then Kana-Kon would be only three months away. He was actually getting excited.

Before long, Keith was standing in front of a house far larger than his own and even more ostentatiously luxurious than Thomas's. The trees and bushes had all gone dormant for winter and lost their leaves, but he could easily picture what a beautiful lawn this mansion of a home would dominate once spring came and the flower beds were again in bloom. However, in the chill harsh glare of the winter sun, the white façade of the grand house with its massive pillars and its grey stonework intimidated Keith. For a fleeting moment, he wondered what the hell he was doing there. He had to muster up some courage before he could ring the doorbell.

A uniformed maid answered the door. An actual maid. For a moment, Keith was at a loss for words. After two unsuccessful attempts at introducing himself, he finally managed to stammer his name and the cause for his visit.

The maid eyed him coldly and asked him to wait without inviting him indoors. Keith shuffled on the doorstep. To think that a house with a maid couldn't afford one with better manners was a little ridiculous to his mind. He didn't have long to wait, however. The girl he asked for was at the door.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked without even saying hello.

Keith couldn't help but notice that she didn't invite him inside either, but he smiled warmly all the same.

"Hello, Regina. I thought if you weren't busy today we might go get some coffee together."

He had sufficiently recovered from discomfort, and he spoke clearly and unaffectedly. Yet Regina still stared at him as if she hadn't understood a word he'd said.

"There wasn't a meeting today was there?"

"No, no meeting. I just thought you'd want to go do something just for fun."

"With you and Henry?"

"No. Just me."

Regina frowned at him, but Keith fought back with a perfectly confident smile.

She relented, "Okay, just let me get my cloak."

She left the door open this time, and Keith was able to observe her retreat to the hall closet, where she pulled out a dark cloak with a large hood. Despite the weight it seemed to posses, Keith couldn't help but notice the rest of Regina's outfit.

"Regina, we're dealing with sub-zero temperatures out here. Think you should put on something that covers your knees?"

"This _does _cover my knees," Regina said testily, indicating her purple skirt with white lace accents, "And I will be perfectly warm, thank you."

Keith shrugged in a way eerily similar to the way in which his mother had shrugged to him earlier that morning, and he led Regina out into the cold December air. He was immediately rewarded to see her shiver and pull the cloak closer around her. He was about to suggest she get a coat or something else before they set off, but Regina's cloak had fastens up the front of it, and these she quickly buttoned. Afterward she looked at Keith with a determined eye and said, "Shall we continue?"

They set off, and Regina immediately began attacking Keith, "I can't believe you're out without your brother. What is he doing if he isn't with you?"

"Hanging out with his friends, I imagine," Keith responded, though in his heart he knew exactly where it was his brother had gone.

"Unpardonable! You lose points for not being with him, and he for leaving you! Hikaru and Kaoru would never do such a thing. Where are we going again?"

"Coffee."

"I despise bitter drinks. I only like sweet things."

"Okay, I'll buy you a cocoa then." Keith said, still smiling and not seeming at all affected by Regina's rudeness.

Keith's mood was cheerful, but Regina sulked all the way to the café. She barely said a word, restricting herself to monosyllabic answers to all of his attempts at conversation. When he bought her cocoa, she managed a terse "thank you" and abruptly turned away to find a table. Keith accepted his coffee from the barista, and shaking his head complaisantly, he followed her.

"Regina, is something wrong?"

"No. I'm fine." Regina said automatically.

Keith snapped his fingers and pointed at Regina, "Ah-ha! Gotcha. Something is wrong."

Regina frowned at her cocoa, refusing to look at him, "I don't know what you're talking about. I just told you I'm fine." "Sure, but you can never trust a girl when she says 'I'm fine.' In the language of women, that means 'you have done something wrong, and if you don't fix it, I will make your life miserable.'"

"Oh really? And what makes you such an expert on girls?" Regina said, softening a little even though she still spoke harshly.

Keith saw her weakening, and decided to take a chance, "C'mon, Regina. You can tell me. It has something to do with Kyle, doesn't it?"

Regina blushed and stared at Keith as if he were some sort of sorcerer, "How did you know?"

Keith couldn't help but laugh, "Tom told Henry and I that you and Kyle were hanging out a lot recently. I was pretty surprised, actually. You two don't seem like… I mean, it doesn't seem like you guys would have much in common."

"It's not like that," Regina said with a sigh, "I'm just helping him with his character. Kyoya must be perfect."

"Okay, okay. I'm starting to get the picture," Keith said encouragingly. He rested his hands on table on either side of her cocoa mug, and leaned in so as to be closer to Regina. She had been turning her mug around in her hands, and now she was forced to look up at him.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

"It's nothing really. We just have this deal that I won't go over to his house unannounced so long as he doesn't… um… Buy infomercial products."

"… Right okay, that's perfectly sane." Keith said after a pause, "So did he, uh, buy something?"

"That isn't it!" Regina cried helplessly. She looked into Keith's eyes intently before bowing her head. Her blond hair hid her features from view. Miserably, she muttered, "When I called him this morning, he said I couldn't come over."

Keith couldn't say anything in response at first, and the two of them sat in silence for a moment. His instinctual reaction would have been to blurt "That's all?" in a way that would surely insult Regina and ruin their date, much like what would have happened if Henry were in his place right now. Keith took a deep breath and thought "what would my brother _not _do in this situation?"

"Regina? Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"I know that! Don't you think I know that already?" Regina said, the testiness creeping back into her voice.

"I mean, Kyle probably had something to do today." Keith said, "He and Tom are probably gossiping about some other girly manga as we speak. I'm sure they're sitting in Tom's room, listening to Brittany Spears and painting their toenails."

Regina giggled and slowly lifted her head, "Thanks for that. Now I'm never gonna get that image out of my head."

"Glad I could help."

"Is that really what you think of them?"

"Of Kyle? No, I don't think he's that kind of guy, really. But Tom? Absolutely."

Regina laughed freely this time, and without warning she released her cocoa mug and grabbed Keith's hand, "I'm sorry I was rude to you. Thanks for the cocoa."

Keith squeezed her hand in response, "Anytime."

* * *

Section 27: Henry's Day Out

Henry's date was not going as well as his brother's. He had gone to Hilary's house early that morning, having pre-arranged to see her by phone. She had seemed perfectly happy with the prospect at the time, but Henry was growing more and more confused and concerned with each passing minute that he spent in her presence.

Having never been shy around girls before, Henry was shocked to find that he could think of nothing to talk about with Hilary, and their staggered conversation fell more than once into awkward silence. It was as if they had nothing in common without the rest of the gang to back them up. Henry was beginning to wish for a sufficient amount of time to pass so he could end the date without being rude.

Hilary, for her part, acted eager and friendly whenever some new attempt at conversation was started, but she was never able to sustain such exuberance for long. When she did fall silent she seemed not bored or uncomfortable, but completely distracted, as if her mind were elsewhere.

Henry finally suggested they stop at a restaurant, figuring that if they were eating he at least wouldn't be expected to talk. Hilary agreed, for a moment actually looking at him, then she quickly slipped back into her own contemplations.

"So… What do you want to eat?" Henry asked, giving the menu a cursory glance. He hadn't even noticed that they'd stumbled into a Japanese restaurant. He didn't even know if he liked any Asian cuisine other than Kung Pao Chicken.

"Oh, I don't really care. I'll eat anything," Hilary said affably, though she stared at the menu with dead eyes.

"Um, okay well it looks like they have… um, _tacky-yacki_?"

"_Takoyaki._" Hilary automatically correct.

"What's that?"

"It's a sort of octopus dumpling."

"Oh." Henry said, and his stomach churned at the idea, "Well, what's this _onigiri _thing?"

"That's just a rice ball."

"Like, just a ball of rice? Like white rice?"

"No, it usually has something in the middle. Like a plum or tuna. And then it's wrapped in seaweed."

Henry promptly set down the menu, "Why don't you suggest something? I don't know much about Japanese food."

"Oh, I don't really care. I'll eat anything," Hilary said again with the same inflection in her voice as before.

Henry lacked the tact his brother could usually employ. Without considering the effect his words might have, he suddenly blurted, "What's wrong with you?"

Hilary stared at Henry with a surprised look on her face, "What?"

"Well, you seemed like you wanted to go out, but you're not even paying any attention to what we're doing. If you didn't want to go out with me, you should have just said so."

Henry spoke with more hurt in his voice than he had intended, and Hilary noticed. She flushed and stared down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Henry. I didn't realize…"

"Don't bother," Henry said, his defense mechanisms kicking in. He didn't need her to say it in order to realize that Hilary never thought of their outing as being an actual date. Anxious to uphold an exterior unconcern, Henry rocked his chair onto its back legs and looked anywhere but at Hilary.

"I think I can guess where your mind's at anyway," he continued, "It's so obvious. Kind of pathetic really."

"Excuse me?" Hilary said, her eyes snapping back to stare at Henry.

"You're thinking about Freya and Tom right? The two of them are getting real chummy."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hilary said with just as much disdain in her voice, "And anyway, I would hardly call Tom throwing himself on Freya at every meeting _getting close. _Unless you mean in the literal sense."

Henry shrugged, "Say what you want, but you're still jealous."

"You've gotta be kidding…"

"I'm not! I mean, I was only trying to be _nice _to you before. I thought if you went out with me you could stop obsessing over Tom. But I guess since you insist on brooding over him and Hilary there's no helping it."

Hilary had no words. She just continued to stare at Henry, her face slowly turning red with anger. Henry, encouraged by her silence, kept talking against all better judgment.

"I mean, it really is completely pathetic of you. If you liked Tom so much, you should have accepted his offer into the club. Now you can't stand it that some other girl has taken the place that should have been your own. It's your own fault though…"

Henry stopped mid-stream. Hilary had grabbed her cup of hot tea and thrown it in Henry's face. Luckily, the liquid wasn't hot enough to burn. Henry sat in shocked silence as the warm rivulets of tea rolled down his face and seeped into the collar of his shirt. Hilary was standing across from him with tears glistening in her eyes, the guilty teacup still in her hand. "I'm going home," she said once she trusted her voice would not waiver, then she grabbed her coat and dashed out of the restaurant.

Henry didn't stay long either. He tried his best to wipe off as much of the tea as he could with a napkin, then headed outside. The cold air froze his damp hair almost instantly, and Henry struck off quickly, muttering curse words under his breath. He ended up getting home before his brother. When Keith finally returned, he found his brother waiting for him. He was lying on Keith's bed with one arm thrown over his eyes. Henry didn't speak, but Keith knew things had gone badly. He didn't have the heart to mention that his own day had gone well.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Keith asked.

"Why am I such a fuck up?" Henry asked in way of response.

Keith lifted Henry's arm in order to look him in the eye, "You aren't a fuck up. You're just impulsive and emotional. That and you can't sink a free-throw to save your life."

Henry wasn't in a mood for joking. He just rolled over and displayed his back to Keith. But his brother wasn't about to give up. His mood would not be dampened by Henry's failure. Keith jumped on his brother and tried putting him into a sleeper-hold. Henry was surprised by the attack at first, but his instincts kicked in and he quickly fought back. The two promptly fell to the floor in their scuffling, earning a shout from their mother, who called to see if something had happened.

The brothers disengaged from battle, gasping. Keith called back that they were both fine, then they stared at each other as they tried to regain their breath. This was especially difficult for Keith, who had started to laugh.

"Crazy bastard…" Henry gasped.

"Well, have you snapped out of your pity party?"

Henry said nothing in response, but Keith could see that he had. He pursued the former topic of conversation, "Stop being sorry for yourself and fix it. You like Hilary, fess up. And knowing you, you've said something to upset her. So give it time and then apologize."

"How?" Henry asked, "You weren't there. She was really pissed off. And she has every right to be. I was out of line."

"So tell her that!"

"But what if I can't! What if I lose my temper again?"

Keith mulled the problem over in his head, and the result of his pondering made him smile with mischievous delight, "Henry, I think it's about time we got our hair cut."


	19. Section 28: Tamaki, Haruhi, Mori

Section 28: Best Laid Plans

Kyle really had been hanging out with Thomas on the day Regina had called wanting to come over, and it was during this visit that Kyle mentioned his trip to Freya's house. In fact, he mentioned that most of the group had gone. Naturally, Thomas came to the conclusion that he must go to Freya's house as well. As king of the host club, it was his duty to pay respects to Freya and her father in their home. Kyle had seen that there was no stopping his determination, and he relinquished the address.

Thomas wasted no time. The very next day after school had let out, he set off to find Freya's apartment.

He had some trouble getting there at first, the apartment complex being in an area of town he was unfamiliar with. Eventually, he did reach his destination, and just in time. He was freezing.

He rapped on the door of the apartment with numb fingers. He may have been chilled on the surface, but he felt a curious interior warmth of excitement that he couldn't quite explain to himself. The door opened promptly, though the short wait felt like an eternity to Thomas, standing as he was in the cold.

"Freya! Thank goodness! I was beginning to think you weren't at home!" Thomas said, unwittingly giving Freya his most enthused smile.

Freya looked ready to brave the winter weather herself. She was swaddled in a manish heavy coat, and her hands were sheathed in gloves. She stared at Thomas in her passive way and said, "Oh. So you're here, too."

"Pardon?" asked Thomas, and then he saw.

Tyler stepped into sight behind Freya. He was also pulling on a coat, and he was wearing a grey and green striped scarf around his neck. Thomas recognized it as one Freya had worn before. Unexpectedly, this annoyed him. Why was Tyler wearing Freya's scarf?

"Tyler showed up today, too." Freya said, just as the other boy took notice of Thomas and offered him his customary grin.

"Hey Smith!" he said as he came to loom over the pair by the door. Thomas was annoyed still further. He understood that Mori needed to be the tallest in the group, but suddenly he resented Tyler for his unusual height.

"Hey, Tyler," Thomas muttered uncharacteristically, shooting a questioning gaze in Freya's direction. Freya caught the look, though she was incapable of deciphering it.

"Er, we were just going to the grocery store," she offered, "I need to pick up a few things, and Tyler offered to help me carry them. Would you like to come with us?"

Thomas wasn't looking forward to venturing out in the cold, but he didn't have much of a choice. He had come explicitly to wait on Freya and her father, and he wasn't leaving until he had finished his mission. That, and he couldn't let Tyler show him up as a better gentleman. He was most certainly going to help Freya with her groceries!

"I can't imagine any better way to spend my day than go grocery shopping with you, my dear," Thomas said, finally recalling himself and instinctively shifting into Tamaki-gear.

He thought he was being quite dashing, but Freya and Tyler both gave him strange looks.

"Um. Okay. Thanks?" Freya said, and the trio were soon venturing out into the elements.

"Look, Freya, it's snowing." Thomas said after awhile. The grey sky had finally started spitting out little flecks of snow, the first they'd had this winter, "Isn't it beautiful?"

"I guess if you go for that sort of thing," Freya said as she tipped her head skyward. Her face scrunched into a frown as the little flecks began turning into thicker clumps of snowflakes, "I don't really like the snow, though. When you walk to school and the store everyday, it's more of a hassle than anything else."

"O-oh." Thomas said, at a loss for words, "You're probably right."

"I completely disagree," Tyler interjected. He was gazing at the snow with completely different thoughts in mind, "If this stuff sticks, we could have a snow day. I need a vacation."

"Winter break starts next week," Freya observed in her practical way, "We don't need a break before then."

"Speak for yourself! School is leaching away my soul!" Tyler looked at the snow again and abruptly changed topics, "Say, do you think if the snow's good we could have a snowball fight? That'd be great! I could get some of my friends and Freya could get some of the girls from St. Lawrence." He turned to Freya, ignoring Thomas for the moment, and offered her an easy smile, his eyes flashing brilliantly, "It could be fun."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Thomas said hurriedly, "We don't want to put more pressure on Freya than necessary. Besides, throwing snowballs at one another sounds…"

"Actually, I do think that would be fun." Freya said, completely turning away from Thomas and addressing Tyler, "I haven't been in a snowball fight since I was a kid."

"But - but!" Thomas protested, "You just said you didn't like snow, Freya."

"I don't like walking in it. But I don't see anything wrong with playing in it with everybody."

They reached the grocery store. Thomas tried to distract himself by the various foodstuffs of the produce section. He was feeling frustrated and downcast, and he wasn't even sure why. The only thing he did have some consciousness of was an overpowering sense of animosity towards Tyler. This too was unexplainable. Tyler was being his usual friendly self, pointing out bizarre looking fruits to Thomas and selecting the best and cheapest products for Freya. Thomas knew he was being silly, and that just made him more miserable as they shopped.

Tyler seemed to have a clear conception of where everything was in the store, but he finally found something that surprised and delighted even him.

"Tom, look!" he exclaimed, and he shoved a strange, lime-green vegetable underneath Thomas's nose. Despite its odd coloring, it looked a lot like cauliflower.

"… What is it?"

"The sign said _broccliflower_." Tyler said with unnecessary enthusiasm, "Do you think it's a broccoli and cauliflower hybrid? I wonder what it tastes like… Freya! You have to buy this thing!"

"Don't make Freya buy things she doesn't need!" Thomas shouted suddenly, fearful lest they impose on their host, "If you want it you buy it!"

"I don't mind," Freya said as she looked inquisitively at the strange vegetable deformity, "It sounds interesting. Maybe Dad will like it."

"We'll need dressing, too." Tyler added, "I can't eat vegetables without ranch. Let's see, that'll be aisle four…"

"How do you know the store so well?" Freya asked as she jogged to keep up with Tyler's long stride, "I shop here all the time and even I forget where things are."

"Hm. I may have some psychic ability that I was unaware of…" Tyler said pensively, "That, or it's because I used to work here."

"You worked here?" Thomas asked unnecessarily.

"Yeah, sure. Before I volunteered at the old folk's home I used to stock shelves here after school. Mom said I needed to learn responsibility so she cut me off from my allowance for awhile. I needed a job to feed my Cheeto and Mountain Dew addiction, so I figured, 'Hey! Grocery store! It's where I can find both of those things!' And the rest is history… Long story short, it doesn't count as responsible if you spend all of your paycheck on junk food."

Freya seemed distracted while Tyler was speaking, but as soon as he finished she stopped in her tracks and declared with a smile, "I see now! That's how you knew my dad worked two jobs! You've seen him here!"

"Your dad works two jobs?" Thomas asked, clearly interested in hearing more about Freya's family life.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." Tyler said, completely ignoring Thomas, "He used to stock shelves too. Sometimes we'd do inventory together. I recognized him when we came over, but I don't think he realized who I was."

Thomas was growing more and more distressed. Freya and Tyler were now engrossed in a conversation about a man he had yet to meet, and it seemed like the two of them already shared many stories that Thomas wasn't a part of. Was this only the second time Tyler had come to see Freya outside of club activities? How could he be so easy around her?

Thomas's internal turmoil did not go unnoticed. He was shocked out of his despair by a hand lightly touching his forearm. Freya stared up at him in her beguilingly innocent fashion.

"Are you okay, Tom?"

Thomas blinked. He suddenly realized that this was the first time he'd heard Freya call him by name. His face reddened, and he was strangely very happy.

"I-I'm fine… I just… No, I'm okay."

Freya smiled and held up her shopping basket, "Do you mind? It's starting to get heavy."

Thomas accepted eagerly, and took the basket from her hands. It wasn't heavy at all, and he was thankful for the clear effort on Freya's part to make him feel useful.

On the way back from the store, Thomas insisted on carrying all the bags, and Tyler was left with nothing to do but chatter all the way home about people he'd met in the old folk's home. It didn't bother him at all that Tyler was making Freya laugh or that she seemed genuinely interested in what he was saying. Thomas was being useful and Freya had called him by his name. He was almost convinced that the day would be perfect, even if he didn't get to meet Mr. Holbrook. Almost.


	20. Section 29: Tamaki, Haruhi, Ranka

Section 29: Meet the Parent

"Just put the bags on the counter there, Tom."

Freya indicated with a small wave of her hand the countertop nearest Thomas. Obediently, he placed the bags on the clean counter and was then immediately shooed out of the tiny kitchen by his host.

"Out, out! I have to get dinner started before Dad gets home!"

"But what about us?" Tyler asked. He was poking his head through a little window in the wall that separated the kitchen and dining area from the living room, "What are we supposed to do?"

"You're staying?" Freya said, more than a little chagrin in her voice. She had thought the trip to the grocery store would be enough for them, "Well, there's TV. It won't take long anyway. Um, can I get you something to drink?"

"Wha'dya have?"

"Um. Water. Milk. Maybe some iced tea?" Freya opened the fridge and peered inside, "Oh, and orange juice."

"Do you have any chocolate syrup?" Tyler asked.

"Uh, yeah actually. We do."

"Then I'll have a chocolate milk please! And make it snappy!" Tyler crowed before grabbing the remote control and flopping onto the couch. Once situated he promptly swung his feet onto the coffee table, and there he remained, content and completely at home with the world.

Thomas was appalled by his poor manners, and considered telling him so. To think that Tyler would pop in on Freya unannounced and treat her like a slave! Never mind that Thomas himself had come over unannounced… But instead of reprimanding Tyler, he simply turned back to Freya and asked, "Would you like me to prepare Tyler's milk, instead?"

"No thanks, I got it." Freya said in a completely unaffected way. She at least seemed immune to Tyler's rudeness.

"Well then at least let me help prepare dinner," Thomas said, already rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to wash his hands in the sink.

"No, really. You don't have to do that. I don't need your help."

Freya's bluntness could cut anyone to the quick. Thomas was hurt for a moment, and considered resorting to the old Tamaki method of dealing with depressed feelings - cultivating mushrooms in a dark closet. But today was not a day for mushrooms. Thomas only shook his head and grabbed a mixing bowl from Freya.

"Don't worry, I'm a great cook. I make all the snacks at the club meetings. Well, minus potato chips."

Freya finally gave in. She watched Thomas momentarily with her usual indecipherable expression before she grabbed the chocolate syrup to make Tyler's milk.

"So you _really_ make all that food?" she asked.

"Yes!" Thomas said cheerfully, finally feeling like he was in his element, "Cooking has always been a big thing on my mom's side of the family. I pick things up from her and from aunts and cousins and things when we get together."

"So you have a big family?"

"Well, I don't know about that. Dad's family is small, he's an only child. And, I dunno, we're pretty normal I guess."

Freya suddenly started laughing then. Thomas had never seen Freya laugh before and he was a little frightened a first, though once the surprise wore off he was taken aback by how cute her laugh sounded.

"I can't picture you coming from a normal family!" she finally said, and Thomas had to smile as well.

"What about your family?"

"Oh it's just me and my dad." Freya said lightly. Thomas was itching to know about her mom, but he felt awkward about asking. Even if Freya seemed okay, he had no way of knowing if his prying would be considered rude. Thankfully, Freya changed the subject.

"So why did you come over?"

There was that bluntness again. It always caught Thomas off guard. He never knew how to answer such a direct question.

"Uh, well I wanted to come and say hi and… um, pay my respects to your father."

"Oh, well that's… Weird. That's really weird."

"Is it? I don't think so… I mean, Keith and everyone else came here the other day and met him. And well, I am the leader, it's _my_ scheme… If anyone should come over and see your house and meet your father it's me, right? And since everybody has come over already without me…"

"Not everybody's come here," Freya interrupted suddenly, "Keith and Henry have never been here."

"Well that's different. They're just, you know, the twins." Thomas said, not realizing how arrogant he sounded.

Freya just smiled, "Yeah, you're definitely strange. Probably the strangest, though Regina is a close second."

"Am I really that weird? Weirder than Regina? I'm sorry…"

"No, it's okay. It doesn't have to be a bad thing," Freya said casually. Her gaze drifted upward, as if she could find words on the ceiling that would explain to Thomas the nature of his own oddness, "It's like, a good sort of weird. Like just different. Maybe a 'helpy-people' kind of weird?"

Freya frowned at her own explanation, but Thomas was unexpectedly flattered. Of course, it didn't take much to flatter an ego like Thomas's. Still, he wanted to compliment Freya as well, but his words were suffocated by Tyler's booming voice calling out from the living room.

"I don't mean to be a bother, but what in Hades is taking that chocolate milk so long!"

Freya jumped and reached for the glass of milk, forgotten during their conversation.

"Sorry, Tyler! I'll be right…"

And before she could say "there," she tripped. Her sock encased feet lost their grip on the slick linoleum floor, and she was falling, glass of milk in hand. Thomas had witnessed the whole series of events since Tyler's shout, and he had nearly predicted this turn of events when he saw Freya spin around as she did to answer the summons. Unfortunately, his reflexes still weren't fast enough, and when he reached out to halt Freya's fall, he slipped himself.

The pair landed with an disgraceful thud on the floor. Thomas saw with relief that at least he had managed to cushion the impact for Freya somewhat, though his arm throbbed painfully and his shoulder felt wrenched out of place as a result.

"Are you okay?" Thomas asked as he eased his arm out from underneath Freya and leaned over her.

Freya turned her head and blinked at him, "Look, the milk didn't spill."

Perhaps it was his relief that made Thomas feel more amused by this than was really called for. Whatever the case he couldn't help but laugh aloud and wrap his arms around Freya happily. His embrace caused her to spill the milk after all, and while Freya scolded him for it he laughed hugged her all the more.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Thomas froze when he heard the unfamiliar tones of an older man growling imperiously above him. He didn't need to look up to know it must be Freya's dad, home from work and catching them in an inexplicably awkward position. He did look up, however, and saw both Tyler and Ryan Holbrook standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Mr. Holbrook was not looking very pleased to see his daughter locked in the embrace of a strange boy. Tyler just seemed highly amused by the situation, as if he expected to see Thomas thrown out at any moment, and he couldn't wait to relate the story to all of their friends.

"Oh, hey Dad." Freya said calmly, as if this were just an ordinary occurrence and she needn't feel at all as embarrassed as Tom felt. She at least had the presence of mind to gently push Thomas away and climb to her feet, "I tripped. This is Tom. Dinner will be ready soon."

She said it all with prefect grace, then she promptly turned her back on them, grabbed a dish towel, and began mopping up the spilled milk. Thomas was left to defend himself as best as he could.

Mr. Holbrook was already moving away from the kitchen, followed closely by Tyler. He was thoroughly satisfied with Freya's explanation of events, and had no further interest in Thomas beyond a father's normal interest in his daughters friends - especially the male ones. Yet he hid his curiosity well behind his poker face, and Thomas was left unwittingly scrambling for attention and approval.

"Uh-um… Mr. Holbrook? I'm Thomas. Oh, well I guess Freya already introduced us… I-It's nice to meet you!"

Mr. Holbrook raised his eyebrows and turned to Tyler, "You know him?"

Tyler smiled and gave Thomas a wink, "Yeah, we go to the same school. He's cool, I'll vouch for him."

Mr. Holbrook had nothing to say but a grunt in response to this. To Thomas, he merely nodded toward a nearby recliner and turned toward the TV.

Thomas lowered himself slowly onto the chair, for once unsure of himself. Mr. Holbrook didn't seem as impressed with him as most people were. He remained at the edge of his seat in a state of nervous attention, rubbing his hands together for lack of anything better to do with them. Then he realized he was actually wringing his hands, and he stopped immediately.

"So, um. Mr. Holbrook?"

"Please just call me Ryan. You're making me feel old," said Ryan. He pulled his brows into a frown but Thomas noted that the corners of his mouth quirked ever so slightly into a sarcastic smile.

"Of course, um, _Ryan_." Thomas said, testing out the new name, "Um, I was going to ask if Freya had told you anything about our club's activities?"

"Club?"

"Oh, well I guess we're not really a club. More like we're pretending to be a club."

Ryan was staring at Thomas blankly. Not an encouraging sign.

"And what the hell does that mean?"

Thomas cringed, "She hasn't told you anything?"

"Nope. Apparently not."

"She never mentioned our cosplay group at all? A trip of three days? An inspirational and handsome club leader?"

"Nuh-uh. Not wringing any bells." Ryan was now looking to Tyler skeptically, his eyebrows raised in silent questioning. He was beginning to think Tyler had vouched for a crazy person, "So what's this all about?"

Thomas had reverted back to wringing his hands, "I can't believe she's never mentioned me… After all those after school meetings together…"

"What's that about meeting after school?" Ryan asked, his attention turned back to Thomas and his eyes narrowing dangerously, "How exactly did you meet my daughter?"

Tyler suddenly burst out laughing. His mirth helped to lighten the heavy atmosphere between Thomas and Ryan, but only a little.

"Easy there, _padre_," Tyler managed to say once he had control of himself, "We all met Freya through Tom's cousin. Tom has gotten together a little party to go to an anime convention in a few months. Freya's coming too, and we're going to stay in a hotel and have fun for three days. At least that's my understanding of events." He turned to address Thomas, "That's what I signed up for, anyway."

"That's right!" Thomas said with relief. All animosity he had felt toward Tyler earlier in the day vanished once Tyler had come to his rescue.

"Did you say hotel? Hmmm… I don't know how I feel about my little girl running off and staying with some boys I barely know. I mean, Tyler is fine but you…" Ryan's speech trailed off vaguely, though his gaze was piercing Thomas with obvious suspicion.

Thomas flushed crimson. "You're not thinking of forbidding her to come? I can assure you that Freya will be perfectly safe with us! I will personally dedicate myself to protecting her and her honor! Indeed, I already feel as if she… That I…"

"That you what?" Ryan pressed with barely contained amusement. He had nearly burst out laughing when Thomas referred to his daughter's "honor" as if they lived in the 18th century. Luckily for poor Thomas, Freya appeared out of the kitchen with some fresh chocolate milk for all three of the males.

"Here's some milk," she said, making sure she put Tyler's milk before him first. He had been waiting so patiently, "Dinner is on the stove. It should be ready soon."

She said this last part with a cautious glance at Tyler and Tom. She hadn't planned on cooking for more than herself and her father. Why Thomas and Tyler had yet to leave was a mystery beyond her comprehension. But Thomas wasn't picking up on her discomfort. He was far too busy panicking over the assumption that Mr. Holbrook was going to take his Haruhi away from him.

"Freya!" Thomas shouted in despair, "You're dad is saying he doesn't approve of your coming with us to the con! He says you've never even mentioned it before! You must explain it to him at once, Freya!"

"What are you talking about?" Freya asked, her mask of calm uninterrupted by Thomas's outburst, "Of course I told my dad about our plans."

Thomas was almost too caught up in the giddy feelings inspired by her use of the phrase "our plans" to notice Ryan's barely contained snickering.

"Sorry, kid," Ryan said while chuckling, "I was just messin' with ya."

"You mean… You don't mind Freya staying at a hotel with us?"

"Not at all. She's told me all about you guys. And I like Tyler. _And _that Kyle kid seems like a responsible guy, so at the very least I know Freya can rely on him in a pinch."

Thomas exhaled heavily. He hadn't even realized he was holding his breath. Yet his relief was mingled with a sense of curiosity. What made Ryan so confident in Kyle? Had Ryan spoken with him more times than Kyle had let on? What made Ryan like Tyler so much? And if Freya had told him about everybody, what had she said about him? All these questions and more swirled around Thomas's brain. He was so distracted by trying to sort his thoughts and decide on what to ask first that he almost didn't notice Freya say "Dinner's ready, Dad."

"And that's our cue, Tommy-boy." Tyler said as he rose back onto his feet. He had grabbed Thomas by the arm and was guiding him to the door before Thomas had even registered what was happening. Then it hit him. He hadn't had time to bond with Freya or her father at all.

"Wait! But we just got here!"

Tyler gave him a funny look, "We can't stay for a dinner we weren't invited to."

He said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Of course, he was right, but he seemed to be ignoring the fact that both he and Thomas had already imposed unannounced on Freya's hospitality.

None of that mattered now as Tyler pulled Thomas out the door. Tom barely had time to choke out a few goodbyes and vows to visit again before the door was shut and he was left standing on the landing outside of the Holbrook apartment. And just like that his first visit to the Holbrook home was over.

"Are you coming?" Tyler called up to Thomas. He was already halfway down the stairs before he noticed that Thomas wasn't following him.

Thomas lifted his hand and brushed his fingertips down painted metal of the door before turning away brusquely.

"Yes!" he called back, pulling his coat more tightly over his shoulders before following the other boy down the stairs. A few blocks later he realized Tyler was still wearing Freya's scarf.


	21. Bonus Story: A Day in the Life

Bonus Story 2: A Day in the Life of the Holbrook Family

Ryan Holbrook opened the door of his small apartment to the rich, savory smell of dinner on the stove. This was his favorite way to come home at the end of a long day at work. He paused in the doorway, inhaling deeply. Then he smiled and stooped down to remove his shoes. Karen hated it when he tracked mud on the carpet.

Wearily, he shuffled to his favorite recliner and collapsed into its welcoming fluff. He'd had this chair for years, since before his marriage, and it remembered the form of his body well. Its broken, lumpy shape was very forgiving after the day he'd had. Who care's if it's a little smelly? Well, Karen cared. He'd have to get rid of it eventually for her sake.

"Karen!" he called sleepily, "I'm home! Where's my welcoming committee?"

From the kitchen only a few steps away, the small brunette head of a little girl poked into view.

"Mommy's not here, Daddy," a seven year old Freya Holbrook said, "She's still not back from vacation."

Reality came crashing down around Ryan. Of course, Karen wasn't home. She was gone, and she wasn't coming back either. And she had left him with their young daughter.

"Oh, sweetheart…" Ryan said, the words coming out breathy as he exhaled heavily, "That's right. Daddy forgot. How did you get home from school?"

"I walked." Freya said with a frown. The answer seemed obvious to her. The elementary school was only a few blocks away if she cut through some backyards, and she always walked home after school. But then, Daddy had been acting strangely since Mommy went on vacation.

"I'm sorry no one was here to meet you, sweetie. I had to work."

"That's okay, Daddy," Freya said, bobbing back into the kitchen for a moment and then just as quickly reappearing with an aluminum can clasped in her hand. She handed the cold beer to her dad without a word and then plopped onto the couch to watch him.

Ryan's hand had automatically clasped onto the cool surface of the can, and he looked down at it with some surprise. Karen used to greet him this way when they were first married. They'd both come home, he from work and she from classes, and they'd share a drink together just talking about their respective days. But that was before. In recent years, Karen was too busy to talk, and Ryan was drinking more and more alone.

"Where you expecting Mommy today?" Freya asked curiously, breaking the strain of Ryan's reflection.

Ryan frowned at the beer and placed it on the coffee table, unopened. He still hadn't told Freya the truth, and he couldn't hide it forever. It was time to tell her.

He was heavy with sorrow, but he tried not to let his voice waiver as he delivered the blow, "Freya, Mommy isn't coming back from vacation."

Silence ensued as little Freya struggled to comprehend the meaning of this message.

"Mommy isn't coming back?" she asked, processing the words.

Ryan nodded, not trusting himself to say more.

"Ever?" Freya clarified.

"That's right, baby. I'm so sorry." Ryan said. His heart was being torn to pieces, but Freya merely looked pensive.

"I thought this would happen," Freya finally said with a decisive nod, "I guess it's just you and me, huh Dad?"

Ryan stared. The tears that had been threatening to fall from his eyes halted in place, blurring his vision. Freya didn't seem hurt at all. How could she be taking this so well? "I guess it's a good thing I've only bought groceries for two…" Freya said, raising her index finger to tap her chin. She wasn't watching her father anymore. Her mind was too busy making calculations on how best to divide up the food and her time over the next week.

By referencing the groceries, Ryan's already stunned mind was brought back to the delicious aroma wafting in from the kitchen. His first thought was that Karen was home making supper for him and their daughter. Now that he remembered the impossibility of that situation, he was left puzzling over the mystery of tonight's dinner. In fact, hadn't he eaten well the past few nights?

"Freya, did you make dinner?"

Freya stared back at her dad, her blank expression perfectly mimicking his own. "Of course, Dad," she said. She did not elaborate further. Apparently she felt no need to explain her actions to her father.

Ryan was having some difficulty coming to terms with the fact that his seven year old daughter had made dinner for him for a few nights consecutively without his noticing. Had he really been so distraught over Karen that he hadn't noticed what was happening under his own roof? Though as a concerned parent he felt worried and guilty about his neglect, he suddenly felt a surge of pride in his daughter.

He reached out and snapped his little girl up in a hug before she could totter off to the kitchen again. Freya hesitated only a moment before questioningly returning his embrace.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sweetie." Ryan said, indulging in a few tears before hastily wiping them away so Freya wouldn't see, "And you know? I think we're going to be okay."

Freya, in her own childish way, knew exactly what her dad was trying to say. Still, she couldn't resist saying coyly, "Well, yeah. You have me to take care of things."

* * *

Author's Note:

I decided to write this bonus chapter after re-reading a bonus story in Ouran High School Host Club entitled "A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family." I liked seeing the insight into young Haruhi, as well as the dynamics between herself and her father. I decided to explore this myself, not only to expand on Ryan's character, but also to reveal a little bit of Freya's past to the readers. In the end, I really got into these characters, perhaps more than I had intended, if that makes sense. I wound up liking this writing exercise in and of itself, outside of the scope of the usual fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed this bittersweet scrap of a story as well, and you can expect the usual full update and return to the main story soon.

Thanks for reading.

jinxauthor


	22. Section 30&31: Hunny, Mori, and Twins

Section 30: Informative

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" Michael cried as he stamped his feet like a petulant child. His hands grasped the sides of his face involuntarily, as if they wanted to seal shut the source of his pain.

"If you were going to complain so much, you shouldn't have gotten a cavity in the first place," Tyler said, glancing up from the backgammon board.

"It's not as if I planned to get a cavity, _Tyler_."

"The boy has a cavity?" Mr. Tetsuya said. He finished up his move and then peered at Michael through his spectacles. He was still not quite used to having an extra member during his matches with Tyler, and he often forgot his manners and spoke about Michael as if he were an object. Fortunately, he was aware of this mistake, and sought to remedy it by speaking to Michael directly as much as possible.

"You ought to brush your teeth regularly, young man," he said now in way of making conversation, "Unless, of course, you want false teeth like mine someday?"

He punctuated his sentence with a sharp click of his dentures, causing Michael to frown and smile at the same time. He had developed this interesting and difficult expression by spending so much time with Tyler, who was always giving him reason to laugh and reprimand simultaneously.

"I _do _brush my teeth. But there's not much toothpaste can do against Regina. Not only has Tom been demanding I eat cake at every meeting, but Regina keeps fixing me snacks at home. I don't even like sweets!"

Tyler's short attention span was now wholly removed from the backgammon game as he focused on Michael, "I thought we had agreed that you'd only have to eat sweets during club meetings while you're being Hunny?"

"Well, tell that to Regina. I can only eat what's 'Hunny approved.'"

"Honey is good for you, though," Mr. Tetsuya said, feeling much out of his element, but nevertheless trying to have a say in the conversation, "You should try it on toast."

"Not that kind of honey, Mr. Tetsuya," Michael said. He was beginning to see why Tyler liked hanging around with the older gentleman. He wasn't creepy or uncomfortable to be around like other old people, "It's a character in an anime."

Tyler's gaze flicked briefly toward his mentor. His looks were always vaguely secretive, as if he were constantly enjoying a private joke. Michael had noted this before, and he wondered what Tyler had been telling Mr. Tetsuya about the club when Tyler added, "The convention I told you about."

"Oh yes! I remember now. That stuff my granddaughter is interested in. She likes that Sailor Moon and that… Card-caper Sakura?"

"I think you mean "card-_captor_." Michael corrected.

"But that doesn't make much sense."

"Neither does card caper."

Mr. Tetsuya smiled, "Well personally, I don't think any of those cartoons make much sense. But she keeps trying to get me interested in it, too. She seems to think I'm disgracing our Japanese heritage by not liking the stuff. I say that I'm not into hara-kiri either, but I'm still Japanese." He paused, and his smile broadened as he looked at Michael, "My granddaughter is about your age now. So argumentative. It must be part of growing up."

"I'm not argumentative." Michael argued. Both Tyler and Mr. Tetsuya had a laugh at his expense. Michael didn't care, he laughed too.

"You must meet my granddaughter when you go to the convention." Mr. Tetsuya said once they had settled down, "Her name is Riko. I think she and her friends are all dressing up this year as well."

"Really? Who are they going as?" Tyler said, knowing full well that he'd have no idea what it was. Ouran was still the only manga he'd ever read. But if Mr. Tetsuya's granddaughter was a particular fan of something, he'd probably better look into it.

"Oh, I have no idea," Mr. Tetsuya said dismissively, "Or really I can't remember. Probably something silly and girly and covered in pink ribbons. She loves pink."

"She sounds great," Tyler said, enthusiastic to meet anyone related to the great Mr. Tetsuya, "I promise to find her at the con. Better yet, I'll look out for her for you."

"If she's my age then she can probably look after herself," Michael said cheekily. Still, he was curious. A girl his own age? He wondered if she was interested in Pokemon.

Suddenly, his tooth unleashed another shot of searing pain. He cringed and rubbed his cheek ineffectually. On second though, he wasn't so sure he wanted to meet Riko Tetsuya. She sounded a lot like Regina, and Michael was pretty sure he didn't need another one of those in his life.

* * *

Section 31: Suddenly, Twins

"An outing?" Tyler asked with thinly veiled suspicion, "Like, what kind of outing? Is Tom finally coming out of the closet?"

Thomas flushed with indignation, "Certainly not. It's Kyle's idea. He thinks the club should go out together after we've all tried on the costumes for fitting. But it has to be a secret from…"

"The costumes are done?" Tyler interrupted enthusiastically. He tossed the newest volume of Ouran High School Host Club away without hesitation and just as quickly forgot about it. "I want to see the costumes," he continued, "Where are they?"

"Tyler," Kyle intervened smoothly on the conversation, "The meeting. It has to be kept secret. Club members only."

Tyler was still distracted, "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Kyle. Now. Where be my costume?"

Thomas threw his arms into the air, "Oh all right! I'll run upstairs and get them. Just wait here for the others."

"Tyler, were you paying attention?" Kyle continued, "Once we've called it quits for the day you cannot tell Hilary or Regina that we're going out. They aren't allowed to come."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. You're hating on the girls for some reason. Don't worry, I won't ruin your diabolical plans, your dark lordy-ness."

Thomas returned with the costumes bundled in his arms. With his own excitement mounting along with Tyler's, he quickly handed his friends their costumes. Tyler whooped in triumph and quickly began removed his own jacket in order to pull on the blue blazer. Once he was satisfied that it looked good over his white graphic tee, he started to remove his jeans.

"Tyler!" Thomas shouted, "I know you're excited, but please, don't strip in my living room!"

"Fine." Tyler said, drawing out the first vowel to convey his irritation, "I'll change in the bathroom and spare your fragile sensibilities."

Thomas watched Tyler disappear behind the bathroom door and shook his head at Kyle, "Well, do you want to change in my room?"

"If I must," Kyle responded. He was eyeing the powder blue jacket reluctantly when the front door opened

"Hey guys."

"I hope you don't mind that we let ourselves in."

""Are those the costumes?""

A few moments passed before either Thomas or Kyle could respond. They were both gawking at Henry and Keith Hawkins. The brothers had clearly gotten a hair cut recently. Their hair, as always the same shade of dark brown, was now also the same length. They had even styled it this morning in the same fashion, brining to mind the image of Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin.

The brothers noted their silent expressions and grinned, ""Do you like it?"" they asked in unison.

The fact of the matter was, Henry and Keith were indistinguishable from one another. Thomas had chosen them because they were identical twins, but he hadn't realized just how identical the twins could become.

"Amazing!" he exclaimed, "It's perfect! I can't tell you apart at all!"

Kyle had removed his glasses, wiped them on his shirt, and replaced them on his face, all the while peering at the brothers, "It is impressive. I would have thought I could still tell you apart after we changed your hair. But this is great. You'll be a hit at the con."

"We have this costume contest in the bag!" Thomas added. He thrust the costumes at them, "Here! Try these on!"

The twins accepted the proffered clothes and went upstairs to change at Thomas's behest. They ducked into a guest bedroom and paused by the door. They waited until they could hear Thomas and Kyle sequester themselves in a separate room to change into their own costumes, then they looked at each other. Henry started laughing.

"Did you see the look on their faces?" he asked.

Keith smiled and began inspecting their clothes, "Hilarious. Don't think I didn't notice. But I told you it would be funny."

"Do you really think they can't tell us apart?"

This time Keith noticed a hint of nervousness creeping into Henry's voice, but he didn't respond until they were both fully dressed in their Ouran school uniforms. Then he faced his brother with a confident smile. It was like looking in a mirror.

"Don't worry. Just look at us. We didn't look this similar even when we were babies."

Henry gave him a rueful smile, "Well, at least Thomas and Regina will be happy."

Keith crossed the small gap between himself and his brother and adjusted Henry's tie. They would have to buy some white dress shirts to complete the outfit, but the clothes looked alright on them.

"Don't forget, he's _milord _now."

"Yeah, and I'm sure he'll just _love _that."

They were ready to join the others now. Keith could hear the voices of Regina and Michael join those of the other hosts in the living room. Hilary's voice carried happily up the stairs as well. She was laughing at something Thomas had said. The whole crew was assembled. It was time to make their entrance.

Henry caught Keith's arm before he could open the door, "Are you sure this is going to work."

Truthfully, Keith wasn't sure of anything. But he smiled confidently at this brother and said, "Of course it will. As long as you don't screw it up then we'll be fine. Leave everything to me."


	23. Sections 32&33: The Host Club

Author's Note: Hello All. Super late update again. Very sorry. But this time I don't have a lame excuse like work or school getting in the way. Actually, I was rereading my old chapters for the purposes of editing and revision. Not much has changed, but I would like to note the the cash prize for best costumed group (remember, the whole reason for this crazy fanfiction?) has significantly increased from 1000 to 10,000 dollars. At first I wanted a reasonable amount, but then I figured "Hey, this is fanfiction! I can make it as unrealistic as I want!" So now there's much higher stakes for our heroes. Not long now until they actually compete for the dough, but for the moment, please enjoy sections 32 and 33 of Oswego High School Host Club.

jinxauthor

Section 32: In The Works

Thomas was very concerned that if they could not somehow contain Regina's fan-girl spasms, she would probably lose oxygen and slip into a self-induced coma. However, it is common knowledge that no force on earth can stop a fan-girl from expressing her opinion on her favorite subject. And unfortunately for Thomas, Regina's favorite subject was cosplay.

"You. All. Look. So. Amazing!" She exclaimed shrilly, each word accompanied by a bounce on her tall, baby doll platforms.

She had been going on in this train since she and Hilary arrived and saw Thomas, Kyle, and Tyler in their costumes. Michael and Freya had been immediately sent to change as well. Thomas, while pleased to hear her compliments, was worried about what would happen once she saw the whole club together.

"It is impressive," Hilary said, much more collected and poised than Regina in the face of some of her favorite manga characters, "You did a really fantastic job with the construction, Tom."

"Thank you," Thomas said graciously, "I'm really surprised at how well they fit! They will need some final touches here and there, but still…"

Regina finished the thought for him, "You're a shoe-in to win that competition!" Her statement was more in line with her own train of thought than his.

Thomas just smiled, "I'm glad to hear you say so. But wait until you see the twins!"

Regina could barely control herself, "They're here? Where are they? Are they changing?"

"Tom, perhaps we'd better tell Regina about their hair cut," Kyle said, "She'll need time to prepare herself emotionally."

Regina spun around to face Kyle, the words "What haircuts?" spilling from her lips just as the brothers appeared at the top of the stairs.

""Well, how do we look?""

Regina would have sprinted up the stairs to tackle Keith and Henry had not Hilary grabbed her by the arm, "You're identical! Like, actually identical! And your hair! It's almost perfect!"

The brothers exchanged glances, ""Almost?""

Regina took a deep breath. She seemed to be collecting herself. Her need to assume the role of instructor usurped her fan-girl ecstasies.

"Yes. Almost. It's the wrong color. Tom, when will we be dying their hair?"

Thomas shared a covert glance with Kyle and rolled his eyes, "We're still over a month away from the con, Regina. Keith and Henry won't have to dye their hair until the day before we leave."

Regina shrugged, but her eyes strayed in the direction of Kyle.

"And what about him?" she asked.

Thomas followed her gaze and met Kyle's eye. His friend's hair was still it's natural shade of brown, and Thomas had almost completely forgotten that eventually it would have to be dyed as well.

"Oh! Yes, Kyle's hair will become black the same time Keith and Henry dye their hair. We can make an event of it. It'll be fun."

But this was not the answer Regina wanted to hear.

"I would rather he just dye it now," she said without even looking at Kyle, "Kyoya's black hair shouldn't be a problem. It's not the same as the twin's obnoxious color."

""Hey! It's not obnoxious!"" The twin's protested at once. They didn't want to admit that they hated the orange as well. It was one thing to put it down themselves, quite another to hear someone else scorn the color they would soon have to put up with.

"And I don't see why this is a problem now," Kyle quickly added, "What difference does it make what color my hair is when the con is still months away?"

"Because it will help you get in to character!" "That's ridiculous!"

The squabbling broke out in earnest between Regina and Kyle at that point, while Thomas futility tried to referee. Michael just rolled his eyes as he always did when his sister got this way, then joined Tyler and Freya on the couch to chat and wait out the storm.

"Can you believe this?" Michael asked. He didn't seem to care about interrupting whatever conversation Tyler and Freya had been having, "I honestly don't know why anyone puts up with her. She's not even a club member."

"I like her," Tyler said honestly, "She's got spunk."

Meanwhile, Hilary was lost trying to find something to do with herself. The time wasn't really right for talking with Thomas. And as for the group on the couch… Well. She wasn't quite up for facing Freya at the moment. It was hard for her to come to the meeting in the first place. Especially since she hadn't seen or spoken to Henry since their ill-fated date. Her skin crawled at the memory of it. But it wasn't Henry she was so disgusted with now. As cliché as it was, Hilary was really angry at herself.

"Hilary?"

She jumped as her thoughts were broken by the very person she had just been thinking about. At least, she thought the twin addressing her was Henry. They looked so much alike now.

"Oh. Yes?"

"Could I talk to you for a second? In private?" the twin asked softly. He motioned with a wave of his hand to the kitchen.

Hilary stared at him numbly. He was definitely Henry. The accepted with a nod of her head, and followed him silently out of the room. She didn't think any of the others noticed.

"You and Keith look so much alike with your haircuts," she said to break the ice.

"Well, yeah. We're twins after all."

"Oh… right."

They were both silent. Hilary watched as Henry ran a hand though is hair. He was staring at his feet, as if he couldn't look at her. Hilary knew he must be feeling as awkward as she was, and suddenly that gave her some comfort. Feeling a wave of confidence, she started to speak just as Henry was opening his mouth to do the same thing. They stumbled over each other's words, laughed nervously, tried again, and fumbled again. Her confidence shattered, Hilary lapsed into silence again.

"Sorry, you first," Henry offered.

"No, please, you go."

He smiled. She had to admit he had a wonderful smile, "We're dancing around each other. Okay, I'll go. I wanted to apologize for what I said to you before… The other day."

"Thank you. But… But some of what you said wasn't totally wrong," Hilary admitted. It was such a relief to finally tell someone what she was feeling, "I have been acting jealous. And that's not me. That's not how I want to act. And if I was rude to you then I'm sorry too."

Henry smiled even wider, "No problem!"

"And I'm sorry for throwing that drink in your face."

His smile disappeared, "Problem."

"… What?"

"Well, I had forgotten about the drink thing. I can't forgive you for that just yet. But I'll tell you what, you can make it up to me by going out with me again."

"… What?" Hilary didn't know what to think. What was wrong with Henry? Was he just trying to be cute? She didn't mind spending time with him, and sure, she wanted to make amends, but didn't Henry know how she felt? Wasn't it him who first brought up her feelings for Tom?

Henry softened. She could see it in his eyes, his shoulders, and finally down to his hands that were now reaching for hers, "Come on, Hilary. Give me one more chance? I promise I won't let you down… You can even throw another drink on me for old time's sake."

Hilary melted. A part of her thought Henry was really sweet, but there was another, overwhelming part of her that really wanted him to let go of her hands. Either way, only one answer would take care of both parts.

"Okay, I accept."

"Great! Then let's plan on the Saturday after Christmas. I already have something planned. And I think the other's have finally stopped fighting."

"Okay," Hilary said after listening for shouts, "Then I say we join them."

Peace had indeed been restored to the living room kingdom. Thomas was holding court over the club members, or perhaps it was more appropriate to say that the king had become a tailor. He was busy making note of the few alterations each costume would need before they were really finished. Hilary watched him work, only vaguely away that Henry was moving away from her to sit next to his brother. Thomas had captured her attention again. She was going to wait to tell him about how she felt. If she ever got the chance.

* * *

Section 33: Deception

"Did it work?" Henry asked his brother in a nervous whisper.

Keith smiled and leaned his head closer to that of his brother, "Relax, I've got it all taken care of."

"You mean she really believed that you were me?"

Keith glanced at Hilary. She was busy staring intently at Thomas, who was no more aware of her than Tyler was aware of anyone but himself.

"I told you it would work. I apologized and got you a second date, but that's all I can do for you. Don't screw this one up!"

"Okay, okay. I won't." Henry said, grinning from ear to ear, "Just one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Do you want to pretend to be me the next time we have exams?"


	24. Sections 34&35: Tamaki and Haruhi

Section 34: Soon

"I suppose we're about done for today?"

Regina glanced quickly at Kyle, who had just spoken, and then back to Thomas. Her brow crinkled, but she remained calm as she asked, "What're you talking about? We just got started, right Tom?"

Thomas shared a conspiratorial look with Kyle before he responded. Somehow, it managed to escape Regina's notice.

"Actually, I just wanted everyone to come over for the fitting. I have all the measurements I need, so we're done for the day."

Tyler, overhearing the conversation, perked up right away, "Oh really? So I can get out of here early today? Awesome! Freya, let's go to your place!"

Freya gaped at him, not sure of what she was supposed to say, but she wasn't the only one tossing distressed looks at people. Kyle was at it again, this time his secretive gaze was aimed at Michael. He silently conveyed his commands through a brief, piercing glare that Michael caught on to instantly.

"Tyler!" he cried almost fearfully, "You can't go running off with Freya! You promised we'd go to your house and play games on your Wii!"

"I did?"

"Yes. You did. Don't you remember?"

Tyler didn't remember. But then, this wouldn't be the first time he'd forgotten about plans he made with people. Michael was looking genuinely hurt and pathetic, so he smiled apologetically at Freya, "Sorry, I can't come over today, Frey. Michael and I have plans." "Oh… yeah… Sure…" Freya said distantly. She decided not to mention that it was Tyler who had invited himself over, not her. And did he just call her Frey?

"So I guess you all can go home now!" Thomas said cheerfully. He grabbed Regina by the shoulders and began steering her toward the door while he called out in general to the inhabitants of his living room, "The next meeting is the same time next week! If you're still not caught up in the manga yet then you'd better be! And we'll be having our next host performance challenge, so make sure you're practicing your acts at home!"

"And don't forget, I'll be judging!" Regina shouted hastily as she was shoved out the door. Hilary smiled shyly at Henry, or at least the twin she _thought _was Henry, before saying her goodbyes and excusing herself. She was surprised to see Regina waiting just outside the door.

"Oh, did you forget something?" She inquired, not bothering to hide her confusion.

"Didn't that seem fishy to you?"

"What?"

Regina tossed her hands into the air dramatically, "That! That whole scene in there! It's like they wanted us gone!"

"But Thomas said that he just wanted measurements. Everyone is going home."

"Are you really that naïve, Hilary? I expected more of you."

Hilary was insulted, but this time she did bother to hide it. Her best moments in acting happened when she wasn't on the stage, and she created another brilliant performance just for Regina. In this act, she would play the role of interested third party, and then she thought she'd go home and relax for the rest of the day.

"I'm sorry, Regina. The meeting did seem a little rushed today. But I can't think of any reason Thomas would lie to us, can you?"

Reluctantly, Regina conceded that she could not. Thomas was honest to a fault.

"Well neither can I. So I'll see you guys next week. Enjoy your Christmas."

Hilary congratulated herself on another great performance and walked home in a better mood than she would have been if she and Regina had gotten into a fight. But Regina lingered behind just a bit longer. No one else had come out of Thomas's house the whole time they'd been talking. If the meeting was over, everyone else should have been leaving.

"Kyle's up to something," Regina said aloud.

But without knowing what that something was, she had no choice but to go home, and wait till the next meeting. Or just stop by Kyle's house later.

* * *

Section 35: Battlefield

Tyler stood up and grabbed his coat, "Well, I guess we'd better get going, Mike."

Michael gave him a withering look, "Don't be an idiot. We're staying."

Tyler stared at him, not comprehending what was going on. Instinctively, he turned to Kyle, "So what's up?"

Keith, Henry, and Freya were also watching curiously, so Kyle addressed them all, "Sorry about the confusion. Tom and I just thought it might be fun to hang out together, just the club members."

He smiled at Thomas, wordlessly indicating that he should take over for him. Thomas was only too happy to help.

"We thought about going out for once. That is, if you don't mind, Freya?"

Freya jumped at her name and looked around, "Wha? Me? Oh…" She stared at the group of males, all looking at her to see what she would say, "Um… Sure, I don't mind. I mean, if it's a club thing, I guess I don't have much choice."

She was looking at Tyler in a pleading way, thinking if anyone could excuse her from this new development it would be him. But Tyler wasn't helping her. He just smiled in a way that said "That's right! You still owe me."

"So it's settled!" Thomas declared, "And I know just the thing! Get your coats on and follow me!"

"It's cold out!" Henry protested. His complaint was followed immediately by Keith's, "Yeah, I don't mind hanging out together, but why can't we just stay here an do it? Why do we have to go somewhere?"

"Because we're always here. It won't be special." Kyle said smoothly as he passed by Keith and out the door.

""Special?""

"Hey, Michael! Better watch out! If the snow gets any higher we'll lose you in a snowdrift!"

"Oh, shut up, Tyler!"

It had started to snow again, adding to the three feet of snow already blanketing the ground. It was covering the roads and sidewalks as well, making their walk more of a tundra expedition and promising a number of event cancellations. School, of course, had already been dismissed for the holidays, but Freya was considering how the buildup would affect her ability to walk to and from her apartment.

"Are you sure you don't mind, Freya?"

"What was that?" Freya said, snapping out of her reverie. For a moment, she thought Thomas was asking about the snow.

"You don't mind spending time with all of us? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

He was being entirely honest, and when he was serious about something, he was completely calm. Freya liked him best this way. Thomas could be a little overwhelming when he was excited. Thomas didn't do things by halves, and in this moment he was completely focused on his concern for her. Freya saw it, and she felt like reassuring him.

"I don't mind," she said with a smile, "Who knows, it could be fun."

Thomas smiled back, then he glanced up and uttered a small sound of satisfaction.

"We're here," he said privately to Freya before he raised his voice and added, "We're here everybody."

He threw out his arm in a grand gesture toward a deserted and snow-enveloped playground.

"It's COLD!" Henry cried again. He wrapped his arms tightly around his body and shivered for emphasis, "Seriously, Tom! I thought we were going someplace warm! Why'd you bring us to a playground?"

"This is kid stuff anyway," Michael added. He took the playground venue as a personal insult to himself.

"No! It's fun!" Thomas said defensively. He turned to Freya for support, "I thought you would like it. You said it would be fun to have a snowball fight with everyone. Remember?"

Freya blinked at him, "Yeah… I guess I did. You remembered that?"

"So the playground was a good idea, right? We can use the tire stack as cover, and the slide for an ambush. And over there, the tunnel would be good for…"

He was cut off mid speech by a snowball to the face. Sputtering out slush, he wiped his eyes and glared at Tyler, who only smiled in response.

"Less talk, more snowballs!"

"I'll get you for that, Tyler!" Thomas bellowed. Then two more snowballs took him by surprise, hitting him squarely in the back.

"Take that, you great fool!" Henry cried as he gathered up another handful of snow.

"Down with the Host King!" Keith added as he hoisted another snowball in the air.

Thomas was ready to shout back at them, when suddenly he felt a hand grasping his own. Freya was tugging away at his arm, trying to move him, "Come on, Tom! We need to take cover!"

Her hair was glittering where flakes of snow still clung from one of Tyler's snowballs and she was laughing. Thomas could only follow her silently.

Freya rushed him over the playground and into the small plastic tunnel. Constructed for the use of elementary school children, it was more cramped than either of them had anticipated, but Freya curled up easily next to Thomas an hazarded a glance out of their hiding spot. For the moment, Henry and Tyler were busy lobbing snowballs at each other, but Michael and Keith were making their way slowly toward the playground equipment in pursuit of the runaways. Every so often they'd throw a casual snowball at each other.

"We're safe so far," Freya muttered, "But what we need are some snowballs of our own."

"O-oh… Yes," Thomas stammered. He was uncomfortably aware of how close they were sitting.

"I think we should move," Freya said, still peering at their approaching foes, "We'll make a run for the tires. We can make an arsenal of snowballs there and climb the tires to gain the high ground."

She turned to Thomas. She wanted to gage his reaction to her plan. He was being too quiet, "Ready?"

"Yes… You really like snowball fights don't you Freya?"

She gave him one of her blank, unreadable expressions. Then she broke into a smile, "Yeah. This was a really great idea, Tom!"

For a brief, fleeting, fragment of a second, Thomas considered doing something stupid. Maybe it was just their physical closeness, or the look on Freya's face that triggered it. Maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever happened, Thomas found himself leaning even closer to Freya, an action that could have led to very serious results had not a snowball of fate landed with a loud thud on their cozy tunnel.

Freya whipped her head around at the cue to survey the new threat, and Thomas ended up getting smacked in the face by the back of her head. Freya hadn't noticed anything amiss. A thick skull will do that to a person.

"They're here!" she shouted, "We'll have to make a break for it now! Ready, Tom?"

Thomas could only nod. He was holding his nose and blinking away tears. Somehow, he managed to pull himself together, and he and Freya ran out of the tunnel, gathering snow and throwing it at the rest of the host club as they fled.


	25. Sections 36&37: Hikaru, Haruhi, Tamaki

Section 36: Pick Ups Only

"Remember to be courteous and polite. Don't say anything to upset her. Don't bring up milord. Be attentive to what she's interested in. And whatever you do, don't mention milord again."

"You mentioned Thomas twice," Henry teased. He sat on the bottom step, tying the laces of his boots. Keith was standing at the top of the landing not far from him.

"That part's important. Remember how it ended for you last time you and Hilary discussed our host king?"

"Enough with the host king crap!" Henry said, standing up and feeling more than a little nervous, "I hate it when you call him that outside of the club. It's driving me crazy."

Keith shrugged. He knew his brother was only anxious about the date, so he merely replied, "Practice makes perfect. Now go out there and impress Hilary! And don't come back here until you've swept her off her feet!"

"It's only the second date!" Henry cried as he dashed out the door, red-faced from embarrassment. He knew his brother meant well, but with the commands Keith had been drilling into his head all morning, Henry felt more overwhelmed than excited for his date. Whatever happened to "be yourself and you'll be fine?"

The walk to Hilary's was slow and aggravating. His physical struggle through the mounting piles of un-shoveled snow mirrored his internal turmoil of his upcoming reunion with the girl he was desperately crushing on. He couldn't justify to himself the reason he felt so strongly about her. He'd had girlfriends before, but he felt differently about Hilary. Was it because she was so different from other girls he knew? That might explain why he didn't know how to act around her.

By the time Henry reached Hilary's home, he had decided that it would be best to just do as little talking as possible. That way, he would have less of a chance to make an ass of himself.

"A movie." Henry said when Hilary opened the door and greeted him.

"That sounds like a good idea," Hilary replied. With the memory of their last outing still fresh in her mind, she was herself still shy and unsure of herself around Henry, "Was there a particular one you wanted to see?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you if there was one you were interested in."

The pair smiled at each other tentatively, and with that their date was off to a slow, albeit friendly start.

"By the way," Hilary began as they made their way to the theater in Hilary's car, "Why did you have Keith pretend to be you?"

"What?" Henry asked. He was startled, but somehow still managed to sound casual, "What are you talking about?"

Hilary didn't look at him, she was focus on the road, but the corner of her mouth turned up very slightly, "When he asked me on a date. He was pretending to be you."

"Um. No he wasn't?"

Hilary burst into laughter then, although Henry couldn't see that anything was so very funny, "Henry, I'm not mad! I'm just curious. I'll admit that I was fooled at first. I mean, I really did think that Keith was you for a moment. But when I had a chance to think about it at home I couldn't believe how wrong I was. You guys are so different, you know?"

"Well… Yeah," Henry conceded finally. He was used to people drawing comparisons between himself and his twins, but they'd always acknowledged their differences easily, "We're different people."

"I know right?" Hilary agreed, nodding her head so furiously that Henry was afraid for her driving, "And that was easy to _see_ before. I guess I was momentarily thrown off by your hair cuts." Here she spared him an indulging smile, "But I _did _figure it out. So, why did Keith invite me today instead of you?"

Henry was glad for the moment that Hilary was focused on the road. It spared him the need to make eye contact. He stared instead at his sneakers and mumbled, "Well, I couldn't… I mean… Keith's better at… We just figured Keith had a better chance of saying what I wanted to say."

They sat quietly for a time, listening to the radio and the sound of traffic rather than continuing their conversation. Hilary finally broke the silence as they turned into the theater parking lot, "Well, I'm just glad it's really you that came today, and not Keith."

Henry broke into a grin, relief spreading through him. "Hey now, that's my brother you're talking about," he teased, "What's so bad about him."

"Nothing bad," Hilary said, equally playful now, "It's just that… Well, you're the cuter twin."

* * *

Section 37: Audience

"Kyle… Either I'm seeing things, or that's Henry over there with Hilary."

"You aren't seeing things. I noticed them when we walked in."

Thomas continued to watch the pair as Kyle refreshments for their movie. Henry and Hilary were seated across the room from them, a large bucket of popcorn resting between them. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. Indeed, as Thomas watched, Hilary laughed uproariously at something Henry had said, and pushed him lightly on the arm. It was a playful gesture that struck Thomas as oddly intimate for two people who had previously never spoken outside of class.

"I didn't know they were close," he muttered, nursing the large drink Kyle had handed off to him.

Kyle shrugged and didn't seem willing to offer his own opinion on the development when Thomas added, "What movie do you suppose they're here to see? We could always invite them to sit with us."

"Somehow I don't think they'd be interested in _Spell in the Snow_," Kyle said, cringing as he pronounced the title of a popular new romance comedy. Regina had tagged along when she'd heard that Thomas and Kyle were going to the movies. Somehow she'd ended up picking the movie, and although Thomas's love of romance comedies nearly matched his love of shojo manga, Kyle's aspiration to see _Nightmare of the Cannibalistic Demon Part III_.

"You don't think so? Then we should at least say hi."

"Just leave then alone, Tom. It's obvious they're on a date."

"Really?" Thomas sounded as if he'd never even considered the idea, "So Henry likes Hilary… I wonder why he didn't say anything about it."

"You don't know that. Hilary could have asked Henry out."

"What?"

"I mean maybe she liked him first," Kyle gave another one of his characteristic shrugs, "In any case, it's obvious they both like each other, otherwise they wouldn't have come to the movies together."

After delivering this piece of wisdom, Kyle hustled off toward their theatre, worried lest Regina be put out from having to wait for them. Thomas lingered only a few seconds longer, thinking if only Hilary would look up and see him, he could go over on the pretense of just now noticing them. But Hilary didn't look up, and eventually Thomas had to go his own way.

"Hilary and Henry like each other," Thomas said aloud, testing the idea, "How did I miss that?"


	26. Section 38: Kyoya and the Host Club

Section 38: Gifts that Keep On Giving

They had agreed to meet up the day following Christmas, no doubt because Thomas had foolishly bought presents for everyone and wished to distribute them as close to the actual holiday as he could manage. But the arrangement worked fine for everyone else, Kyle included. He was actually looking forward to the day with much anticipation, when suddenly, before he'd quite prepared himself, the day came.

Kyle usually made it a point to arrive first. Thomas was his best friend, after all. He considered it his place to help set things up for the rest of the club as if they were his guests as well. Today was different. He purposefully waited a full half hour past the time he would usually leave before gathering up various parcels into a large gift bag and disembarking for Tom's house.

His timing had been well planned. He was the last person to arrive, quietly slipping through the door and being noticed only by Thomas, who nodded at him, and Regina, who merely pursed her lips testily at his tardiness. Kyle gave her and impudent grin, set his bag on the floor, and joined the others.

It was clear from the decorations strewn about the room that Christmas was the Smith's favorite holiday. It being only a day since Christmas passed, their great tree was still standing in a place of honor near the sofa where Thomas, Freya, and Regina were sitting. The fir tree was strewn with white lights that blazed brightly despite the sunlight pouring in from the windows, and it was this light that played on the faces of Henry, Hilary, Keith, and Tyler as they sat on the ground, surrounded by various brightly wrapped packages. Michael sat slightly removed from the general group in an arm chair, curled up and intently focused a new game, recently acquired as a Christmas present from his parents.

"Hurry and join us, Kyle!" Thomas called cheerfully, "We're just waiting on you! I bought presents for everyone."

Kyle smiled at his friend's predictability and wordlessly sat in the only remaining arm chair.

"So we can open these things now?" Tyler asked, "I want to know what's in it!"

"Hold it right there!" Regina demanded. She stalled not only Tyler but the twins as well from grasping their gifts with greedy, outstretched hands, "I don't know about you all but I didn't just come here today to exchange gifts and drink eggnog!"

"There's eggnog?" Henry asked.

"I hate eggnog," Tyler stated.

"What is it you were expecting, Regina?" Keith finished, shaking his head at Tyler and his brother alike.

"Practice. This is a club meeting, is it not? So I propose exchanging gifts _in character_."

"That's a great idea!" said Thomas, "that way we have some experience interacting with each other, not just the fans."

"Precisely," Regina replied, though she was looking at Kyle rather than Thomas, "And I fully expect everyone to be in character. No excuses this time."

Kyle offered her his most endearing smile, "Oh? Are you looking at me, Regina? Don't worry I'm prepared this time."

He was conscious of Thomas glancing between himself and Regina, a concerned expression on his face, but he refused to look at him. He continued to focus on Regina, who was smiling now that her challenge had been accepted.

"Good! Then Hilary and I will both be playing the part of guests today. The rest of you already know your roles. Just think of this as another Host Club event. _And stay in character!_"

"Wait, are we starting now?" Tyler asked as Thomas handed him a present.

Regina rolled her eyes, "Yes, _Mori-sempai_, we're starting now."

"Oh!" Tyler smiled, then recalled himself and tried not to smile, kept smiling, and finally suppressed his amusement enough to assume a sober expression, though his eyes were still dancing with mirth.

"Then I would like to begin by passing out my gifts for everyone!" Thomas exclaimed, hardly needing to act in order to participate in Tamaki's characteristic flamboyance. He quickly dispersed several packages of rather large size to each of the so-called host club members. "And wait a moment," he commanded before Michael and Henry could hastily tear apart the wrapping, "You ought to all open them together."

Obediently, the hosts waited until their King counted to three, then they all began unwrapping their presents at the same time. They probably could have finished simultaneously as well, but what with Henry, Tyler, and Michael all savagely ripping apart the wrapping paper, Kyle slowly pulling apart the tape and folding the paper up, and Freya falling somewhere in between with Keith, they ended up finishing at rather odd intervals. One by one the hosts pulled out their gifts. Each had been given an Ouran Academy uniform.

"They're finished!" Thomas declared when he saw the questioning glances of a few of his hosts, "And that's a complete package for each of you! Shirt, pants, jacket, and tie! I even managed a few sweater vests in my spare time. You know, just in case we wanted to adopt the summer uniform at the con."

"It does get rather hot during the dances," Kyle said, nodding sagely. Then he noticed Regina was frowning.

"Gee, you really churned these out, didn't you Tom?" Henry was saying, then he also took notice of Regina's look and corrected himself, "I mean _milord_."

Hearing his bizarre title made Tom realize he was supposed to be acting as well, and he hurriedly turned to Freya, beseeching her approval above all others, "You do like it, don't you Haruhi? I know you can't afford the uniform on your own, so I thought you might like to accept this. I made it especially for you, a gift from this doting father to his daughter."

"What?" Freya said, inspecting Thomas's needlework, "You're not my dad."

Thomas behaved in the crushed manner such a blunt statement would be expected to illicit in him, but he was saved by Freya's next candid remark, "You did a nice job, though. I don't think I could sew as well."

Kyle smiled privately as he watched Thomas go into ecstasies over Freya's compliment. The others were also doing their job to stay in character while handing out gifts, and Kyle was pleased to see the frown fade from Regina's face. Still, she looked like she was growing restless.

"Tamaki," said Kyle, smoothly cutting into whatever foolishness he had been spouting to Freya, "I hope you haven't forgotten our guests?"

"Certainly not!" Thomas said with an enchanting smile and a toss of his fair hair. He bestowed upon Hilary and Regina a most princely smile and offered them each a small yellow box tied neatly with a blue ribbon, "For you, _mademoiselles_."

Hilary smiled more than Henry liked upon receiving the gift from Tom. He liked it even less when she opened the box and exhaled in awe.

"Oh it's… It's too much Tamaki!"

"For you, nothing is too much," Thomas replied, sliding onto the floor next to where Hilary was seated, successfully managing to invade her personal space. Henry wanted to strangle him.

Hilary continued to gaze at the gift - a beautiful silver bracelet adorned with a multitude of small, glittering gemstones. Surely it was costume jewelry, cubic zirconia… But then again this is exactly the sort of extravagance to be expected of Thomas, well known to have more money from his parents than he knew what to do with.

"I selected it to match the sparkle in your eyes," Thomas said tenderly, to which Henry snorted audibly and Keith snickered behind his hand.

"And why did you buy the gift for Miss Regina?" asked Henry contemptuously. Regina was still seated on the couch holding a delicate bottle of perfume in her hands and trying to watch everyone at the same time, "Are you trying to tell her she smells and had better cover it up?"

"How rude!" Thomas cried with indignation, "I bought it because the scent is reminiscent of my own natural fragrance, and I wanted her smell it and think of me as I often as I think of her!"

This was too much, and the twins fell into a fit of uproarious laughter. Kyle was amused as well, though his was more by the look on Regina's face than Thomas's words.

She was clearly torn between repulsion at being so referred to by a first cousin, and a desire to stay in character. Character won out, and she smiled at Thomas fondly, "Thank you so much, Tamaki. I shall cherish it."

She leveled her sights on Kyle then, and the frown reappeared. His moment had come.

"Miss Hilary," he began, choosing to lavish his attention on that girl rather than the expectant Regina, "Are the festivities to your liking?"

Hilary jumped, she had not expected to be addressed by Kyle so suddenly, "Oh, yes! I love Christmas don't you, Kyoya?"

"Yes I do," Kyle said with a soft smile, "Though I confess, I like it less for the presents and more for the general feeling of good-will and friendship of the season."

"O-Oh? Is that what you like? That's wonderful, Kyoya. It's too bad it can't be that way all year."

Kyle smirked, this was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Yes…" he said, "It is a pity. We would be remiss if we took these precious moments for granted… Which is why I have prepared some exclusive photographs to commemorate the camaraderie of the season!"

With sudden flourish, Kyle produced a handful of photographs seemingly from nowhere and presented them fan-like to Hilary. The shiny images revealed themselves to be pictures taken at the playground when the group had their snowball fight.

"What the…?" began Henry, who was quickly joined by his brother in chiming, ""When did you take these?""

"When we were snowball fighting, of course," Kyle said simply, "And I got some pretty good shots, too."

"We can see that! But when did you have a camera? We… We never saw you taking any of these! And some of them are close ups!"

Kyle tacitly ignored them and focused on Hilary, "Supplies are limited. If you buy now I can throw in an extra print for every five you buy. Buy twenty and I'll even throw in a limited edition 'Ouran Calendar' for the new year."

""You made calendars?""

"When did he find the time?" Tyler asked Michael, who was unable to answer due to his state of shock.

"So what do you say, Miss Hilary?" Kyle asked, showing off his best salesman grin.

Hilary considered the photos he offered. They were very well done, and actually had the appearance of professional photo shoot. It was hard to believe they were all candid shots. Kyle was a diabolical genius.

"Well…" Hilary muttered, dropping character, "I think I would like a few… Of Thomas and… Maybe Henry?"

The boys in question caught each other's eye, then quickly looked away.

"Sold!" Kyle said, quickly pulling out a portfolio, again, seemingly from nowhere, and offering it to Hilary to peruse the entire selection.

"Hold it!" Tyler yelled, "You're not seriously going to sell those, are you? What's my cut?"

"Yeah!" Michael agreed, "It's gotta be somehow illegal you taking those and selling them without our permission!"

Kyle laughed at them, "Relax, I'm only playing the part. I actually have pictures for all of you. Consider them my Christmas gifts."

As he spoke, he reached for the gift bag and began pulling out wrapped packages. He handed them to Hilary and Regina in addition to each host.

Henry unwrapped his to find a picture of himself and his brother furiously throwing snowballs to whatever poor individual resided outside the frame. Keith's was similar, only Tyler also appeared in the shot, bravely taking a snowball in the chest to protect Michael. The brothers looked at each other and smiled, then quickly assumed identical expressions of disdain.

"Lame gift, Kyle," Henry said.

Keith nodded, "Kinda sentimental, don't you think? Couldn't you have gotten something a little more… pricey?"

"Sorry, but I'm not allowed to do much shopping nowadays." Kyle said, winking at Regina, "And don't even pretend you don't like that present, you ungrateful prick."

Rather than take this as an insult, the twins only laughed and debated which of them was the "prick." Kyle was pleased. It seemed his hard work had not gone to waste. Regina loved her gift, a rare group shot of the whole host club - minus Kyle - and even Freya seemed to enjoy her gift.

Only Thomas was silent while the others discussed their presents. He was staring at the photo Kyle had selected for him. It depicted himself and Freya, hand in hand as they had been when she led him to the safety of the tunnel. Freya was smiling, but Thomas couldn't help but notice the strange look on his own face. He didn't know how to describe the expression. He wondered what it was he had been feeling at the time the picture was taken…


	27. Section 39&40: Kyoya, Renge, and Kaoru

Section 39: The Reluctant Doppelganger

"How long is this dye supposed to stay in, exactly?"

Regina inspected the box of hair coloring again and hummed indecisively, "Well, it says fifteen minutes, but the color will turn out different depending on what your hair was like to begin with. See? It shows you right here."

Kyle frowned at her rather than at the box. Regina tried not to giggle at him, but he looked so funny sitting there in the bathroom with his hair pasted onto his scalp, covered as it was with black hair dye. Unable to hold back any longer, she snickered behind her hand.

"That's right, laugh away!" Kyle said testily, "But if this color doesn't come out right it'll be your fault for putting it in! Then you can deal with Thomas and I'll just shave my head."

Regina was horrified, "You can't do that! Kyoya with a bald head? It would kill your fan-girls." "_His _fan-girls. And I care very little about them."

"Well then _please_ spare a thought for poor Thomas before you do anything so stupid."

"Thomas has had fits before. He'd get over it."

"Then consider the prize money."

Here Kyle paused. There was a lot of stuff he could buy with that money, but he quickly suppressed the thought. If he allowed himself to think shopping now, he was sure to suffer withdrawal symptoms again. Kyle had been loyal to his deal with Regina, but it was taking a larger toll on his mood than he was willing to admit. If only she would let him order just one Spacebag! Even window-shopping through the as-seen-on-TV aisle at Walgreens would satisfy him, but he wasn't sure he could withstand the temptation. Alas, he hadn't so much as shopped at the grocery store recently. Even the hair dye had not been purchased by him. Regina had brought it with her when she arrived at his house that morning.

"Whatever," he finally said, "I'm not really going to shave my head, anyway. At least not until the con is over. I'm just saying that this better look okay."

"It will be fine," Regina said reassuringly, "You'll look great with black hair. And I'm not just saying that. Not many people can pull off this look, you know."

Kyle chose not to comment on the compliment. Instead he stood up and joined Regina by the mirror to stare at his reflection. Regina suddenly found herself hyper-sensitive to his proximity. She tried ignoring it. She tried reminding herself that boys normally don't bother her and that the only reason Kyle was different was because he looked so much like Kyoya, but her efforts were in vain. She just couldn't behave normally around Kyle when he wasn't wearing a shirt. He had taken it off to avoid getting it stained by the dye. Regina wished he would have just draped a towel over his shoulders.

"Regina?" Kyle asked. His tone that implied he had spoken her name repeatedly without receiving a response.

She snapped to attention, dragging her gaze away from his bare torso and up to his face. He was staring at her curiously.

"Y-Yes? What is it?"

"I asked you if it's been fifteen minutes yet?"

"Oh, yes! It has!" She grabbed the box of dye again and reread the instructions, "So now you just have to rinse out your hair until the water runs clear. Then there's some conditioner stuff you need to put in and rinse out."

Kyle acknowledged these instructions and crossed over the cool tile floor to the shower. He slid one side of the frosted glass door open, turned on the water, and looked expectantly at Regina.

"Are you going to help me with this or not?"

"M-Me? Wh-What do you need my help for?"

"Uh, washing out the dye? C'mon, you said I needed to get all of the extra stuff out."

"W-Well, I don't want to get my jumper stained."

Kyle looked down at Regina's frilly black skirt and raised his eyebrows. "It's very expensive," Regina said in response to his look.

"Okay, then change into something else."

"Do you think I just walk around with a change of cheap, unattractive clothes to change into at a moment's notice?"

"There should be a pair of sweatpants in my room. You can wear those and whatever T-shirt you find."

Regina wanted to protest, but she couldn't think of a way to deny him without making things awkward. Still, the thought of entering Kyle's room and wearing his clothes made her face flush in embarrassment. She quickly retreated before Kyle could notice.

Kyle's sweatpants were a little big on her slim hips, but luckily they had a drawstring she could pull tight. There were a number of t-shirts lying haphazardly about the room. Regina wondered idly which ones were clean before she selected a simple black t-shirt draped over the back of Kyle's desk chair. Pulling the shirt carefully over her curly ponytail, Regina hesitated. The shirt smelled faintly like Kyle. She wasn't sure what it was, whether Kyle used a certain cologne or body wash, but she had come to recognize this scent as his own. It smelled good…

She was blushing again.

"Curse you, Regina!" she chastised herself, "Get a hold of yourself! He's just a boy!"

"Regina?" Kyle's voice called from the bathroom, "Did you say something?"

"No! Um, I mean… I'm coming!"

Kyle was already at work on his hair. He was bent double with his head in the stream of water. The trajectory of the shower head was angled away from his body, pelting one wall but providing a nice space within the shower itself that stayed relatively dry. It was to this spot that Kyle beckoned Regina.

"It'll be easier if you just climb in here with me and use the hose thing." he explained as Regina drew closer, "It's one of those detachable shower heads, see?"

Regina was at a loss. She was expected to climb into a shower with Kyle? There wasn't much she could do but wordlessly comply. She slid into place, careful to avoid the spray of water as much as she could. She reached over Kyle's back, grabbed the shower head, and started working. She worked her free hand through Kyle's now jet black hair, watching the water fall away in grey drops.

"How's it look?"

"Black."

"Don't tell me that, smart one, I mean did you miss anything?"

"It's kind of hard to tell when you're bent over like this and your hair's wet!" Regina complained, her usual bossy tone creeping back.

"Okay, so is the water clear yet?"

Regina focused her attention on his hair. She moved her fingers through it again, still aiming the water at his head. The water was clear now, and it didn't seem like they'd missed any extra dye. Still, to be on the safe side she kept massaging his scalp, until eventually she heard Kyle sigh. She blushed and stopped her work, telling Kyle that things looked good. No dye detected.

In response, Kyle quickly straightened up, whipping his hair back and showering Regina with drops of water. She squealed and held her arms up in futile defense while Kyle chuckled, "That'll teach you to snap at me."

"Well what do _I _care if you get your clothes wet? Did you forget about that?"

"Oh yeah. Well then why don't you go and change back into your expensive clothes? I'll finish up here."

Regina rolled her eyes and exited the room again, thankful for the excuse to escape Kyle for a few minutes. She did exactly as he suggested, and carefully put every frill back in its proper place. She remained in his room for a few moments, quietly thinking. She was trying to put together her feelings for Kyle. That she liked him was certain, she wouldn't come over to his house and deal with his sarcastic humor if she didn't like him. But what did that mean exactly? She shook her head furiously. No, no, no! No way was she going to think about this now! As far as she was concerned, Kyle was just her cousin's best friend, and her interest in him only extended as far as club activities.

She smiled. That was it, Kyle was just a friend. She'd never had a good friend who as a guy before, so of course she was going to feel strange around him. They were still getting to know each other.

Feeling a renewed since of confidence, Regina reunited with the subject of her thoughts in the living room. Kyle was still devoid of both glasses and shirt. He had a towel pulled snugly over his shoulders, and his now jet black hair was still damp and disheveled from the shower. Regina's smile dissipated to make way for a pronounced frown.

"I thought you were getting dressed?"

Kyle shrugged. Regina was starting to hate how he did that, always shrugging away what people said to him as if it didn't matter. "I'm hot," was all he said.

"It's winter."

"We're inside. I can be hot inside a heated house in winter, can't I?"

Now Kyle was frowning at her. They glared at each other from opposite sides of the room, she projecting her frustrations onto him, he wondering why the hell they were having this inane conversation.

"Question for you," Kyle said suddenly after some moments of prolonged silence, "Why did I have to dye my hair anyway?"

"Because Kyoya's hair is black."

"I know that. But the con isn't until March. It's still December."

Regina rolled her eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you? It's imperative that you get into character now! Kyoya is a very complex character. If you don't seriously get to work, then you'll never understand all of the subtle nuisances of his being. And then the fan girls will be devastated."

"You mean _you_ will be devastated." Kyle said, subtly closing the gap between them by a few paces, "I'm sure the fan girls couldn't care less. They just want good looking guys to take pictures with."

He continued to advance slowly toward Regina. She blanched, "Thomas…"

"And don't feed me that line about Thomas caring. He's enjoying this club farce, but he doesn't care how I act. He thinks I'm a good Kyoya as is. You're the only one who seems to disagree, Regina. Why is that?"

Kyle's eyes were narrowed. With his wet hair hanging in his eyes and shadowing his face, he suddenly seemed very dangerous. Regina unwittingly took a few backward steps.

"Regina?" Kyle asked again when he didn't receive an answer, "Are you upset that I'm not your ideal of Kyoya because he's your favorite? You want me to be exactly like your hero, right?"

"K-Kyoya isn't my hero," Regina muttered, "He's just one of many characters I like. That's all."

Regina froze with shock. She realized that she had backed into a wall. Kyle closed the gap between them, boxing her in with his hands planted firmly on either side of her shoulders. Her heart was beating too fast. She could feel blood rushing to her face.

"Just admit that you _like_ him," Kyle insisted, "You love him. But Kyoya isn't real. You're never gonna meet anyone like him in real life. But Regina, _I'm_ real."

He lifted his hands slowly and touched the sides of Regina's face, gently trying to tilt her face toward his own. At his touch, she flinched, and suddenly pushed him away.

"NOOOOO!" she shouted as loud as she could, clenching her eyes shut against unexpected tears. Kyle fell away from her as she pushed him, surprise displayed clearly on his face.

Regina darted around him before he could say anything else, or worse, touch her again. She grabbed her bag and her coat and ran for the door, shouting over her shoulder, "Kyle, you're an idiot! I'm never coming over again!"

And with that she slammed the front door and ran as fast as she could in her platform baby-doll shoes in the direction of Keith's house.

* * *

Section 40: The Consequences of Helping

Keith had no idea what Regina was doing at his house. He was surprised, but not disappointed to see her standing on his doorstep. He had gradually grown to enjoy her company after their first tête-à-tête, and it wasn't uncommon for them to spend an afternoon together once a week. However, he hadn't expected to see her today, and from the look on her face, he gathered that she was feeling a little odd about showing up unexpectedly as well.

He invited her inside, allowing his tone to express his confusion. Regina seemed to start, then she shook her head quickly.

"Do you think we could just stay outside?"

"Regina… It's freezing outside."

"I'd just really like to stay outside. Do you think we could stay outside?"

Clearly something was bothering Regina. Wordlessly, Keith grabbed his coat from one of the hooks near the door and led Regina back onto the lawn. He conducted her to a stone bench, brushed off the snow that nearly engulfed it, and settled down next to her.

"So what's up?" Keith asked, trying to sound upbeat.

Regina was mute.

"I wish you'd wear pants." He said, trying to incite conversation, "At least in the winter time. There's gotta be some Lolita pants you can wear, right?"

Still not working. He could usually get her talking about clothes, but Regina was too distracted. Keith watched her silently, monitoring the minute changes in her expression. She wasn't very good at hiding her emotions. Keith finally took her hand and asked, "Regina, what's wrong? You can tell me. I promise it won't get back to Henry."

Regina turned her head and stared at him very seriously, "Keith, do you think I'm pretty?"

Keith almost pulled his hand away in surprise, but recalled himself at the last minute, "What? What is this? Regina… You know you're cute."

"I didn't ask you that. I asked if _you _think I'm _pretty_."

"You are pretty!" Keith insisted with sudden vehemence, "You're exceedingly attractive! Your whole family is! Honestly, Regina, from what I've seen, you come from a very fortunate line of good-looking folks. You're beautiful exterior shines through even your frilliest of frocks."

Regina had started smiling as he delivered this short speech, and by the time he finished she was laughing out loud. Keith smiled and squeezed the hand he still held clasped in his own.

"You always make me laugh!" Regina said, wiping away a few tears.

"Good. What was that about anyway?"

"I don't know!" Regina said on an exhale, "I was just thinking. Do you really think someone like me could… I mean, do you think other people… boys…"

"Boys?" Keith asked, not sure he was really understanding the whole picture, "What boys?"

"Well, do you think boys would actually be interested in someone like me? Frilly dresses and all that."

Keith shook his head condescendingly, "Regina, you've been going to an all-girls school for too long. You have no concept of how guys see you."

"I was surprised." Regina said with an air of admitting to something guilty.

"Surprised about what?"

"It doesn't matter now. I've probably ruined everything." Regina sighed and cuddled up closer to Keith. This seemed so natural to him that he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He wanted to keep her warm if he could. He kept looking at her exposed knees, thinking about the frigid air.

"Is this about Kyle?" he asked casually.

"Let's not talk about it anymore," Regina responded, "Really, I'm okay."

Keith nodded his head and tightened his grip on Regina. Definitely Kyle's fault. Of course Regina wouldn't want to talk about it with him. It was probably too embarrassing. Still, he was wondering how best to bring up the issue with Kyle himself when Regina started to pull away from him.

She stood in front of him and stretched as if she had just been freed from a large burden. Hands placed on her hips, she looked down at Keith with a satisfied grin that resembled her usual self.

"I'd better get going. I have to prepare for tomorrow's meeting."

"_You _have to prepare?" Keith teased, "Regina, I don't know why you don't just join our cosplay group. You're way too involved as it is."

"You know I can't!" Regina protested with a role of her eyes, "I'm going…"

"With some friends of yours dressed in Lolita fashion. Yes, yes. I know."

Regina smiled at Keith again, as was always his reward her making her feel better. This time, however, she tilted her head to one side, contemplating him.

"Say, Keith?"

"Yeah?" He asked, then caught his breath. Regina had suddenly bent down to his level, placing her face close to his. Before he knew what she was doing, she placed a light kiss on his cheek.

She pulled away slightly, still bent at the waist, her face inches from his own. He watched her warm breath fog the air between them as she said, "Thanks. You're really very sweet."

And with that, she turned and walked away, denying Keith any time to react.

Behind him, Keith heard the front door open and Henry's voice cry out, "I SAW THAT!"

Keith closed his eyes, "Oh no…"


	28. Section 41: Mori and Haruhi

Section 41: Fast Friends

When Freya opened the door of her apartment Friday morning, Tyler was waiting for her. The surprise she felt upon seeing him was surpassed only by the shock she felt in realizing that she was not as surprised as she would have been a few weeks ago. Between evening visits on the pretext of seeing her father and afternoon trips to the grocery store, Tyler was starting to become a regular figure in the Holbrook household. Freya spent some time most mornings wondering who was going to show up that day, Tyler or Thomas Smith.

Today was apparently a Tyler day, though she couldn't help looking around to make sure Thomas wasn't hiding somewhere, ready to make a dramatic entrance.

"Morning Freya! You're up early."

"So are you," Freya observed, "Were you waiting for me?"

Although she hadn't planned on seeing Tyler today, she still felt guilty about having a him sit out in the cold. Somehow, Tyler was her responsibly, expected guest or not.

"I didn't want to wake you. I didn't know if you were still sleeping."

Freya nodded. So he had been waiting on her. He said it so matter of fact, as if Freya was supposed to divine his purpose from his mere presence. Of course, Freya had no idea what he was doing, but she wasn't going to ask him about it. If he were anything like Thomas, he was just waiting for her to ask. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had made her curious.

So instead of asking him any questions, she merely stated, "I'm not going to the grocery store today."

"Okay," Tyler said as she walked down the stairs past him. He jumped up and followed her, "So where are we going?"

Freya sighed. His confident "we" was not lost on her.

"I volunteer part-time."

"Where at?"

"… The animal shelter."

Tyler's eyes lit up and a huge grin spread across his face, "I didn't know you liked animals."

Freya lifted her shoulders indifferently, "It's a job. It'll look good on a resume."

Tyler's smile fell slightly, but his eyes were still bright with excitement, "That's a shame. I love animals."

Freya was feeling particularly argumentative for some reason, so she raised her eyebrows and asked, "Really? You like having to feed and train and housebreak and clean up after them?"

"Yup! That's all part of the experience of having a pet."

"I didn't know you had any pets."

"I don't."

"… So you don't actually know anything about caring for them."

Tyler laughed, "Well, I guess not! But I _think _it would be fun. How hard can taking care of an animal be?"

Freya glanced at him. She was beginning to worry. Was it really okay to bring Tyler with her to the humane society?

It was too late to turn back now, at any rate. They had already reached the small, aluminum-sided building. Black paw prints had been painted on the sidewalk leading up to the door, and a large sign cheerfully announced that they had arrived at the "Oswego City Humane Society." Tyler was trying to match his stride to that of the painted paw prints. Freya marched ahead to announce her arrival to the other workers and to alert them of Tyler's presence.

"He's a perfectly nice guy," she explained, "And he likes animals, so I'm sure he won't be any trouble."

"Relax, Freya," said the society director with a friendly laugh, "You act like this isn't an organization that relies entirely on volunteer help! We're glad to have your friend with us."

Freya was unconvinced. This woman hadn't met Tyler yet.

"Yeah, well… I'll just have him clean cages or something."

"About that," the director said hesitatingly, "We already had someone working on cages today. While she was at it, Tina accidentally got out."

Freya groaned, "Again?"

The director smiled sympathetically, "I'm afraid so, and we don't know where she went. She must be in the building somewhere. Do you think you and your friend could find her?"

Freya assented and stepped out into the lobby. Tyler was leaning on the counter of the front desk, striking up a conversation with the volunteer receptionist there. He was apparently very good at making women in their 30's blush like schoolgirls, Freya noted.

"We've gotta find Tina again," Freya informed Tyler in a surly tone.

The receptionist looked at Freya apologetically, "I'm sorry, Freya. I was the one who accidentally let her out."

Freya shook her head. It was hard to take the woman's apology seriously when she still wore a smile on her face from talking to Tyler, but it couldn't be helped.

"It wasn't you. Tina is a master of escape tactics."

"Who's Tina?" Tyler finally asked, tired of being held in suspense.

Freya held up her hands to him, demonstrating a distance of about one foot, "Tina is a rabbit about this big. She's black with white paws. She's also great at getting out of her cage, but she's afraid of people so once she get out, she hides."

Tyler seemed excited by the idea, "So it's like hide and seek?"

"Um. I guess?"

"Awesome! I'm really good at this game. Where do we start?"

Freya led him to the rodent room - a small, smelly habitat filled metal cages. Most were the temporary homes of small hamsters and ferrets. A couple of lazy rabbits were also lying in their newspaper lined cages. Beside the sounds of scuffling and turning exercise wheels, most of the noise came from a few talkative guinea pigs.

"This is Tina's cage," Freya said, indicating a cage that was very obviously empty.

"Scene of the crime, eh?" Tyler asked as he inspected door hinged to the front of the cage, "Swings upward, I see."

He lifted a hand to his mouth and puffed out his cheeks. Freya watched him blankly before asking, "What are you doing?"

"Smoking on my invisible pipe, my dear Watson. Obviously. So what we have here is a missing rabbit on our hands. But, the question remains, has she run off? Or was she… kidnapped?"

"Why did you pause like that?"

"Dramatic effect."

"Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure she just ran away again."

"You're no fun," Tyler said with a sigh, dropping his invisible pipe. He scanned the cages around him and shook his head, "I don't think she's hiding anywhere in here."

Freya agreed. The cages in the rodent room all sat on tables a few feet off the floor. The tables themselves were all industrial metal structures, affording no shelter for a runaway bunny-rabbit. Besides the metal shelves along one wall, there really wasn't anywhere to hide.

"We usually keep the doors between rooms open. She could be anywhere in the building. I suggest we split up and look for her separately."

Tyler met this suggestion with a slow, easy smile, "Okay, then let's find her quickly."

Freya gave him another blank stare. She wasn't sure what that look was for, but she agreed that it would be best to find Tina as fast as possible. They split up and the search was on.

Freya moved slowly and deliberately through each room. She checked the dog and cat kennels first, then moved on through some of the storage and office rooms. She crawled around on her hands and knees, looking under chairs, tables and desks. She looked in every place twice, doubling back on rooms she'd gone through before, just in case Tina was running circles around them. But the shelter wasn't a very large building. After about an hour's search, Freya had about given up. Than she realized that in the whole time she had been searching, she hadn't run into Tyler once.

She walked the circuit of rooms again, this time peeking into each one in search of Tyler. When she finally found him, he was lying flat on his stomach in the rodent room.

"Hello, Freya, how's the search going?" he asked as casually as he could with his chin pressed to the ground.

"Not so good. I didn't find Tina."

"That's because she's been here the whole time."

"…"

Freya's pause indicated a lapse of time in which she wondered why he would ask how the search was if he knew she hadn't found the rabbit. Eventually she got over his strangeness, and asked the obvious question, "Really?"

"Yes. Turns out she can get under this shelf after all. I almost didn't notice her in the shadow, but her white paws gave her away. Take a look."

Freya complied without hesitation. She carefully sank down her knees, placed her palms flat against the floor, and leaned her head down. Peering sideways under the metal shelves, she could just barely see a shadowy lump in one corner, white spots hinting at small rabbit feet.

"Do you think she's stuck?" Tyler asked.

"No, I think if she can get in there then she can get out."

I tried reaching for her, but she's too far back against the wall.

Freya eyed Tyler speculatively. He was tall, and his arms were proportionately long and lean. If he couldn't reach Tina, then there was no way Freya could either.

"We have some live traps," she suggested, "I'll put some food and water in one and we'll set it up in this room. She has to come out to eat eventually."

Tyler rocked his head gently from side to side, eyes still glued to Tina, "No, I'll stay here and watch her. You just go do whatever else you have to get done today."

Freya didn't object. She knew she could get her duties done a lot faster without Tyler goofing off around her. Before they left for the day she could set the trap and let the director know what had become of Tina. Still, she had to wonder what he was thinking, lying on the floor and watching Tina with such unnecessary vigilance.

Freya went about business as usual. Walking dogs, feeding cats, cleaning cages and filing adoption papers. It was a typical, busy day, but occasionally she would peek into the rodent room. There would be Tyler, silent and perfectly still, lying flat on the floor and barely breathing as he stared intently under the shelves. Freya would just shake her head and keep on working.

When she was finally done with all her chores and had the trap in hand, she returned to the rodent room. There, she found that Tyler had got his reward for such untiring patience. He was seated comfortably enough on the floor, a small black rabbit resting in his lap.

Freya froze in the doorway. She didn't want to frighten Tina and have her run for cover again, but Tyler beckoned her into the room.

"It's okay," he said, "She's calm."

"But how?" asked Freya, trying to keep her voice low and calm, "She's terrified of people!"

Tyler didn't respond. He merely scooped Tina up into his arms and marched into the hall.

"She's a sweetie. I think I'll adopt her."

"What?"

"Is that okay?

"Well… yes. But just like that?"

"I imagine there's some paperwork I have to do. You ought to know, you work here."

"Yes. I know that. But most people come here planning to get a pet. Don't you have to ask your parents?"

"Mom isn't going to care. I've brought stranger things home with me than rabbits. My last steady girlfriend for example."

"Girlfriends don't live in your house though, Tyler."

"What do you know about my girlfriends?"

Freya stopped walking and sighed. They were almost at the front desk. She could see the director and the receptionist peering at them from beyond the glass wall. Would the director be happy to know she was trying to talk someone out of adopting a pet?

"Fine, do whatever you want. But there's an adoption fee, you know."

"Sure sure! I have a card on me somewhere…"

And so Tyler ended up leaving the animal shelter with a new, unexpected friend. Freya watched with veiled amusement as the rabbit cuddled against Tyler's chest. He had bundled Tina inside of his winter coat to keep her from the cold. To look at them, you would think they had been the closest companions since birth.

"I just can't believe she likes you so much. I've worked with Tina for months and she's never warmed up to me."

Tyler laughed, "Animals like me! Which is good because I like them too. I think it must be the only thing I have in common with Mori."

He laughed again, but Freya didn't laugh with him. Her expression was thoughtful as she deliberated seriously. Then she said, "I don't think so. Mori is the kind of guy who just wants to have a good time with his friends. He wants everyone to be happy. He's kind. In that way, I'd say you and Mori have a lot in common."

Tyler stared at her, then buried his face into Tina's soft, black fur, "Stop it, Freya! You're making me blush!"

"I'm serious," Freya said seriously, not realizing that Tyler was being serious as well.

"Okay, okay," he said, peering at her. He was still bent over Tina. For once he was in a position to gaze up at Freya instead of towering over her. Freya glanced at him, looked away, then looked back again and held his gaze. He winked at her, and Freya was struck with the thought that there were very few men in this world who could pull off a wink and not seem sleazy. Tyler was one of them.

"I think I'll need to be visiting the pet store now," he said, straightening up and checking that Tina was still secure inside his coat, "It just occurred to me that I don't have anything a rabbit needs to be comfortable."

"That's probably a good idea."

Tyler smiled. He held Tina against his chest with one arm and reached out with the other, grasping Freya's gloved hand in his own, "Want to come with me?"

Freya looked down at their cupped hands, but she didn't pull away, "Sure, I've got some time."


	29. Bonus Story: Mori Meets Tyler

Author's Note:

Hello readers of fanficiton. I hope you all enjoyed Halloween. I don't want to keep you from your reading, so I'll make this message brief. I am participating in NaNoWriMo and as such, I will probably not be updating for the remainder of the month. I intend to spend some time on original works until I reach 50,000 words. Still, I didn't want to leave the fanfic community for so long without leaving anything for you to remember me by, so here's a short bonus story. I hope it's enough to carry you through November. Enjoy. - jinxauthor

* * *

Bonus Story 3: Mori Meets Tyler

Mori was relaxing while doing one of his most favorite activities: sitting at a table in the music room and watching Hunny eat cake. True, it wasn't as fun as kendo. Or karate. Or any martial art for that matter. But it was still nice to have these moments of calm, no customers to help, no drama to deal with. Mori was very happy.

And then something strange happened.

"Ahhha! No way! I can't believe it!"

Males were usually not guests to music room three, but Tamaki always said to be gracious to all guests. Then again, today was not a day for customers, so Mori wasn't sure what to make of the tall, black haired boy who was smiling at him.

"You're Mori! And oh my god, you're Hunny!"

Mori glanced at his friend, who was regarding the newcomer curiously, his cheeks bursting with cake. Mori wished he would take smaller bites.

Hunny smiled, swallowed his mouthful of cake and frosting, and spoke for them both, "That's right. Can we help you? Would you like some cake?"

"I'd love some actually." And he sat down without further ado.

Mori eyed him surreptitiously. There was something familiar about this boy. Something about seeing him share cake with Hunny reminded him strongly of somebody else. He thought of his brother, Satoshi. Maybe this person was like him?

"I've never seen you before," Hunny was saying cheerfully to the stranger, "Do you go to this school?"

"No way! Of course not. I go to Oswego High. My name's Tyler, by the way."

"Nice to meet you," Hunny said, exchanging a look with Mori, "So what brings you to Ouran?"

Tyler stared at him, his eyes wide and bright and somewhat unsettling, "I have _no idea_."

Hunny was stumped. He stared back at Tyler in surprise and confusion. He didn't even notice when his cake slipped off his fork.

"So Mori, do you mind if I call you Mori?"

"Everyone calls him Mori," Hunny said, regaining his composure and smiling widely. He brought the empty fork up to his lips and tried eating the non-existent cake piece, failed, and faltered again. Tyler watched his bewilderment and laughed, then swiveled his attention back to Mori again.

"So Mori, I've got a bone to pick with you. You see, I'm having some trouble finding my motivation, and I'd like your advice."

"Motivation?" Mori asked quietly.

Hunny tilted his head to one side like a curious animal, "Is this like the time Casanoda-kun acted like some kind of Takashi-disciple?"

Tyler laughed again, "I don't think so, but that was a good episode."

_Episode?_

"Well then," Hunny persisted, "If you aren't a disciple, what do you need from Takashi?"

"Well, you see I'm going to impersonate him and I thought…"

"W-What?" Mori stammered, his eyes widened in surprise.

Hunny almost choked on his cake, "Impersonate Takashi! Why?"

"Never mind that. I just have a few questions. First, what is the nature of your relationship with Hunny?"

"What?"

"Hunny-sempai. Mitzukuni. Haninozuka. Whatever you want to call him."

"I don't… understand…"

"Come on, Mori! It isn't that hard! I need to know what's up with you and your cousin. Is it really just fierce loyalty? Cause I gotta be honest, I don't get that at all. Do you love him or something? You better not, 'cause you're cousins and that's kinda weird. Plus, I don't think I could pretend something like that with Mike. It's probably illegal. And what's with the silent treatment? Do you have to be so dull all the time? 'Cause I gotta be honest, the whole taciturn thing really isn't my style. I don't see why anyone would act that way, which is why I'm having problems, I think. So what do you have to say about all this?"

Tyler seemed to be able to talk forever without needing a single breath. Mori's thoughts were reeling. He had completely lost track of the conversation. The only words he was able to force out were a few incoherent stammers, "I… I don't…"

"_Yes?_"

Mori looked to Hunny for assistance, but he was only watching Mori with equal curiosity, "Why are you always so silent, Takashi? I've always wondered. It isn't because you're harboring pent up feelings for me, is it?"

"I..I..I…"

"You what?" Tyler asked, leaning closer, "Sheesh, I thought you were supposed to be cool. But you're all flustered. I'll make a way more interesting Mori than you…"

* * *

Takashi Morinozuka jolted awake. His heart was beating wildly and as he slowly sat up he felt a horrible pounding in his head. What an awful nightmare.

He was still shaken from the dream. It had seemed so real. Grabbing his cell phone from the nightstand next to his bed, he pulled up Hunny's number with practiced motions.

"Hello?" asked Hunny's groggy voice on the other end of the line.

"Mitzukuni, I have a question."

"Takashi?"

"Yes, it's me. Mitzukuni… Do you ever wish I was more… Active?"

"What? You _are _active, Takashi. You're captain of the Kendo team."

"No… I mean… Would you like me better if I were more like Tamaki?"

"…"

"Mitzukuni?"

"I can honestly say that I have no idea what I would do with you if you acted like Tamaki."

"Ah."

"Seriously. Don't do that."

"Yes. Sorry."

"Is that all?"

"Um… Yes."

"I'm going back to sleep now, Takashi."

"Yes. Sorry. Goodnight."

Mori put the cell phone back in its place on the nightstand. He hadn't noticed that it was only two in the morning. Hunny was probably going to be cranky for the rest of the day. Still, Mori couldn't help but smile at his own foolishness for letting his strange nightmare get to him. He didn't have anything to worry about, after all. Surely he was the best Mori out there, because he was the only Takashi Morinozuka in existence… Right?

Who the hell was Tyler, anyway?


	30. Sections 42&43: Hikaru and Hunny

Author's Note:

Hello readers of fanfiction! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the bonus chapter before the break. I'm sorry I didn't reply to any of them, but I can assure you I read them all! Unfortunately, my attempts at NaNoWriMo failed miserably, but I did have time to work on this fanfic and complete a short story I've needed to write for awhile. Hopefully, it will soon be uploaded to my fictionpress account. Meanwhile, I have two new sections for you! This is just to let you know that yes, I still exist, and no, I haven't forgotten about this story. I hope you enjoy the reading. jinxuathor

* * *

Section 42: Kiss and Tell

Henry didn't know why Kyle had brought the cookies with him. He recognized them as the presents Freya had handed out to everyone for Christmas only a couple days before. He wondered briefly if Kyle intended to give them back to Freya while scolding her for giving him something that was so beneath him. That seemed like something Kyle might do, but that didn't really add up. Henry had eaten his cookies and was of the opinion that they were pretty good. So unless Kyle was a soulless jerk without a sense of taste, there was really no reason to return the cookies.

Henry was already in the mood to tease Kyle, regardless of what his brother had told him. Keith was still insisting that there was nothing going on between him and Regina, but Henry knew better. Girls didn't just go around kissing guys they didn't like. So what if Kyle liked Regina too? Of course Henry was going to support his brother!

He decided to warm up with the cookies and leave the Regina situation for later. "What's with the cookies, Kyle?" he asked, feigning real interest.

Kyle frowned, "I don't even know. Thomas wanted them."

This was an intriguing piece of information. Thomas must have thing for Freya. Hilary might be upset about that, but this was good news for Henry. He would have to press Thomas for more information later. What was more important now was to provoke Kyle about Regina. But how could he approach the subject without raising suspicion?

Keith suddenly tapped his arm, breaking Henry's train of thought. Keith frowned at him and shook his head. He lifted his fingers to his lips in the universal signal of silence. Henry smiled at him innocently.

"What is it?"

"Don't play dumb," Keith hissed, casting a furtive glance at Kyle to see if he was listening. But Kyle was a few paces ahead of the twins and didn't seem to be paying any attention to them. "I don't want you spreading any rumors. Least of all to Kyle."

"Rumors? What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Just don't go saying anything stupid to Kyle."

"I really have no idea what you mean."

Keith glared at him and Henry wondered whether it was the cold making his face red. Could he be embarrassed? Or angry? Henry didn't care. Keith couldn't be mad at him forever. And besides, it was fun to see him upset for once.

"Are you two coming inside or what?"

The twins looked up at Kyle, who was watching them curiously from the stoop of Thomas's house. Keith elbowed Henry lightly in the ribs, a silent emphasis of his warnings, then he walked past Kyle into the interior of the Smith residence.

"Hey guys!" Thomas greeted them with a smile, "You're here early!"

And they weren't the only ones. Henry was overjoyed to see Michael and Regina had also arrived ahead of schedule. He quickly looked between Keith and Regina to gage their reactions upon seeing one another, but Regina wasn't looking at Keith. She peeked at Kyle timidly from beneath her bangs, then turned away on the pretext of inspecting Thomas's snacks for the day. When she turned back, she had a smile on her face. She jumped up from the couch and approached Keith, linking her arm around his and directing him to sit next to her.

Keith had gone pale, casting a worried glance first to his brother and then to Kyle. For his part, Kyle merely looked bemused.

"Tom?" he asked, turning away from Regina and Keith, "Where do you want this?"

"Oh the cookies! Will you just put them in the kitchen for now, Kyle?"

Henry had his chance. Leaving Keith on the couch next to Regina, he followed Kyle into the kitchen on the pretext of getting drinks for everyone.

"So Kyle," he said once they were out of earshot, "I love the black hair."

Kyle frowned at him, then his eyes traveled upward to look at what he could see of his bangs, "Well, thanks. I hate it but that's not the point is it?"

There was a bitterness to his tone that Henry enjoyed.

"I know what you mean. You're really starting to look like Kyoya now. When did you have it done?"

"A few days ago. Regina did it for me."

Henry couldn't help but grin wickedly. He'd hit the jackpot, "Oh she did? That's nice of her. You guys kind of hang out a lot don't you?"

"I suppose so. I don't think it's really that often."

Henry leaned against the counter, attempting to look casual, "Oh I think so. I'd say you guys probably see each other about as often as she sees my brother."

Kyle had been busy grabbing glasses out of the cabinets, but now he paused, eyeing Henry carefully, "What's your point?"

Henry shrugged, "Nothing really. It's just nice to see everyone, y'know, getting along."

Kyle continued to scrutinize Henry for a split-second before turning away abruptly. He continued to dole out glasses which he handed over to Henry without saying a word. Henry could feel his influence slipping and tried conversation again.

"They look really cute together, you know."

"Who does?"

"Regina and Keith. But I don't want there to be any animosity between you two."

"Between me and who?"

"Keith, of course!"

"And why should there be? Keith seems okay to me." Kyle said with a frustratingly level tone.

"Well…" Henry continued, trying to mimic Kyle's calm reserve, "If you were to like Regina, there might be some competition between the two of you. Am I right?"

Kyle burst out laughing, causing Henry to jump in surprise and nearly drop one of the drinks. He didn't think he'd ever seen Kyle laugh before. But there he was, practically doubled over in mirth. Henry didn't like not being left out on the joke.

Luckily, Kyle regained his composure quickly. "I don't think I'll have anything to worry about." he said with a lingering smile.

"Why's that?"

"Because when it comes to Regina, I really don't consider your brother competition at all."

Henry's protective side flared with anger at the insult leveled at his brother. He couldn't believe Kyle would say something like that about Keith! Sure, Henry was the one who provoked this fight but… Still!

"Oh yeah?" he blurted without thought, "Then how do you explain the kiss I saw them share the other day?"

That managed to catch Kyle off guard. "What kiss?" he asked quietly.

Henry was pleased, he had the upper hand again, "I saw Regina kiss Keith last Friday. He says nothing's going on, but I know better."

Kyle was silent. For awhile he didn't even move. Then, slowly, he resumed the task of pouring everyone's drinks. When he finally spoke, his eyes were narrowed into thin slits and his voice was so low Henry could barely hear him.

"So that's how it's going to be? Fine. I can handle it."

Henry was worried. Kyle words didn't seem to be aimed at him. Henry was suddenly very worried that maybe he had gotten Keith into some trouble after all.

* * *

Section 43: Gossip

The older kids had been acting really stupid around each other recently. That, at least, was Michael's opinion. Even Tyler was acting stranger than usual, and that's really saying something. It seemed that with each day that passed, bringing the convention closer, his cousin's friends became more and more odd. In many respects, Michael suspected they were becoming caricatures of the characters they were meant to cosplay. Perhaps that explained Thomas's good mood recently. His host club was really starting to come together.

"Except for Tyler," Michael explained candidly to Mr. Tetsuya, "He's still hopeless."

The old man smiled, indicating with a nod that Michael should continue.

"Well, this character, Mori, is supposed to be the strong silent type. Tyler isn't either of those."

"Oh? You don't think he's strong?"

Michael glanced behind him, checking to see if Tyler was coming back from the bathroom yet. "Please," he said once he was sure they wouldn't be overheard, "I could take him down easy. Did I mention that I'm a black belt?"

Mr. Tetsuya laughed, "Seems like they're just giving those out these days."

Michael glowered at him, affronted by the insult, "Are you saying I'm no good at martial arts?"

"Not at all," Mr. Tetsuya replied with a smirk, "How can I judge when I've never seen you in combat? I'm merely observing that much lesser athletes than you earn black belts as well, with not near as much effort as I'm sure you put in."

Michael relaxed, somewhat mollified by Mr. Tetsuya's retraction, though still skeptical of his sincerity. He'd noticed awhile ago that the old man had a propensity to tease.

"So tell me more about Tyler," Mr. Tetsuya prompted, "In what way is he acting strange?"

Michael glanced around again, "Are you sure we can talk about it? Tyler should be back any minute now."

"Oh I don't think so. I'm not Tyler's only friend in this place," said Mr. Tetsuya, referring to his nursing home, "If he were coming back soon, he'd be back by now. I'm sure he's run into someone and will be distracted for the next hour or so."

"But he came here to visit you."

"It happens."

"Well I think it's pretty terrible of him."

Mr. Tetsuya smiled, "I thank you for your concern. But back to the matter at hand?"

"Oh, right… Well it all started a few weeks ago, around Christmas I guess. He's been really happy recently, but he won't say why. It's like he's embarrassed about something, and that's not like him."

"Hm. You're right about that. To be embarrassed you must be capable of experiencing shame, and Tyler is one of the most shameless young men I know."

Michael laughed, easily agreeing with Mr. Tetsuya's astute definition of Tyler. Mr. Tetsuya joined him with a low chuckle of his own, politely waiting for a pause before asking, "So do you have any theories as to why Tyler would be acting so strangely?"

Michael toughly briefly, sighed, and admitted, "I'm not an idiot. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what's up with him. "Care to enlighten an old man?"

"Sure. The fact is that Tyler's just a teenager, and teenagers are riddled with hormones. Tyler's obviously being affected by his feelings for a girl."

Now it was Mr. Tetsuya's turn to laugh.

"In fact, I have a few theories about who it might be." Michael continued, "Tyler's really only seen the club members since winter break started. So there are three girls he could be interested in." Here Michael paused, raising his hand to count off each girl on his fingers, "There's Regina, my sister. Her friend Freya. And then there's Tom's friend Hilary, who was supposed to cosplay with us but had other plans. Not sure why she's still hanging around really.

"Now as for my sister, that's impossible. No rational, sane person would ever be interested in her. Not that Tyler is rational or sane, but I know she's not his type, so forget about her," here Michael lowered one of his fingers for emphasis, "So that leaves Hilary and Freya. Now, I know that Tyler has been hanging out with Freya outside of club activities, so I'm leaning toward her. But if she's really the one he likes, I have to question his taste. I mean, she's cool and all, but she's too calm for the likes of Tyler."

"So Tyler's got himself a little crush, eh?"

Michael nodded, "And not just him. I think everyone's been _infected_. Love's like a illness that everyone's catching. Like I said, teenagers."

"But you're a teen yourself," Mr. Tetsuya observed.

"That doesn't matter. I have self control."

Mr. Tetsuya chuckled again, "Are you saying you're immune to the disease?"

"Of course."

"Hm. Well good for you." Mr. Tetsuya paused, a sly smile on his face, "You know, my granddaughter is supposed to visit today."

"The one who's going to the con? What's her name… Riko?"

"The very same."

"Oh. That's nice," Michael said, wondering where this was going.

"Would you like to meet her?"

Michael shook his head, already climbing to his feet, "Thanks, but it'll have to be some other time. I should probably find Tyler and head home."

Mr. Tetsuya inclined his head in understanding, "Then I wish you luck on your quest. And I do hope you get to meet Riko sometime. She reminds me of you in many ways."

"Uh, okay." Michael said, not sure how he felt about being compared to a girl, "I'm sure I'll see her at the con if nothing else."

"Tell Tyler I wish him luck."

Michael mirrored Mr. Tetsuya's conspiratorial grin with one of his own, "Will do."

"And Michael? Good luck to you too."


	31. Section 44: The Host Club

Author's Note: Sorry again for the late review. I've been very busy doing nothing recently, so I haven't written much. But the end is in sight! I shall persevere! Here's a short update for you. Enjoy. And Happy New Year.

jinxauthor

Section 44: Resolutions

It was the group's first meeting since the beginning of the New Year, and for Regina things were really getting serious. The convention was now less then three months away, and she still had two whole Lolita-style outfits to prepare before then. She couldn't imagine where all her time had gone, though she suspected it had been lost somewhere in dividing her time between Keith and Kyle.

Her heart began to thud in her chest. It always did when her thoughts strayed to Kyle, which was happening more and more frequently these days. She couldn't understand it. She had been trying her hardest to avoid him at meetings since the day she dyed his hair. In fact, visits to his house had stopped entirely. Instead, she stayed by Keith's side most of the time. She liked the way he made her feel secure and at ease. He had an easy charm and a great sense of humor where Kyle had become distant and cold, though Regina suspected that his change in behavior might be her own fault. After all, wasn't she the one ignoring him?

"Regina?"

She snapped out her reverie instantly to find Thomas peering at her curiously. Right behind him was Kyle. He was also looking at Regina, his expression unreadable. When she saw the very person she was thinking about staring at her, her face flushed instantly. She coughed and covered her face, attempting to hide her discomfort, then she cleared her throat and focused on Thomas, "Yes? What is it?"

"I was just asking if you'd formed any news year's resolutions this year?"

"Huh?"

"I think it's a stupid tradition," Henry said from the couch nearby. His arm was casually resting on the back of the sofa, hovering just far enough above Hilary's shoulders to be possessive without actually claiming her as his own. Hilary didn't seem to notice.

Henry continued speaking with confidence, "I mean, just because it's a new year doesn't mean it's a fresh start. What makes people think they have a better chance of changing themselves at the beginning of the year than at any other time?"

"I agree with Henry," Keith said, "People use New Years as an excuse to make promises they can't keep. It's all about willpower, and if you don't have it to begin with, then a new year isn't going to make an ounce of difference."

Freya was leaning over Michael's shoulder, watching him play a video game, but she looked up once Keith had finished his statement, "You guys have some pretty strong opinions on New Year's resolutions."

"I guess," Keith replied with a smile, "Have you ever made one Freya?"

She shrugged and let her eyes wander back to the game in Michael's hands, "No. But it also doesn't bother me when other people make them."

"So you don't think it's stupid of people to make and break promises?" Henry asked with some derision.

"I never said that. I just never gave it much thought before."

"No thought needed. It's just obviously stupid."

Tyler's face twisted into a strange frown, as if his face wasn't used to making such an expression, "Would you chill out? People's business is _their own _business. Why should it bother you two so much?"

"I just can't stand dishonest people," Henry said. He noticed Keith shaking his head at him in warning. He wanted Henry to let it drop. But Henry smiled dismissively at him and kept talking, "I mean, the whole concept behind resolutions is dumb anyway. It's impossible to change who you are, and yet every year people make promises to change something about themselves. And all the while they know they're never going to change a damn thing!"

Tyler opened his mouth to speak again, but he was interrupted by Kyle's smooth interjection. He hadn't spoken to anyone but Thomas since arriving that day, and his quietly commanding voice quickly captured the attention of everyone present.

"Actually I think I have something with me that will help change you and your brother a bit," he said, "At least externally. Why don't we give it a try in light of the New Year?"

"Did you listen to a word I just said?" Henry asked with a harsh laugh, but Keith took over from there.

"What did you have in mind?" Keith asked with a supplicating look. Henry had let it slip that Kyle knew about the kiss. Keith was hoping to make amends, but his blood froze in his veins when Kyle turned a cold stare on him. He seemed to be sizing Keith up, like a lion surveying a wounded gazelle. Keith could practically see the bloodlust in his eyes.

Suddenly Kyle's expression shifted. He was smiling at Keith in the friendliest way, though the warmth didn't seem to meet his eyes. He crossed over to the entryway just off of the living room and selected a plastic bag lying near his coat. No one had noticed him bring it in. Inside was a small box, which he quickly removed and tossed into Keith's hands.

"There you go. Happy New Year."

Keith looked down at the gift and found that it was a box of hair coloring. The smiling woman on the box had an unusual shade of light brown hair. It seemed to have orange highlights. Keith couldn't quite decide if she was a brunette or a redhead.

"Could you at least have found some men's hair coloring?"

"Hey, you have no idea how difficult it was to find that specific shade. It's not easy trying to match the twin's hair color, believe me."

"Great, well at least we have the dye we'll need." Henry said placidly. "So when should we do it? A few weeks from now?"

"I was thinking now might be a good time." Keith replied.

"Now? But the con is still like, two months away!"

"Yes, but as you may have noticed, I've already dyed my hair. I've found that I've really been able to get into character with my new look," Kyle paused to offer the twins an encouraging smile, "I thought it might help the two of you as well."

"Yeah, I'll bet you did," Henry muttered. He wasn't buying Kyle's friendly attitude. He glanced at Keith, looking to find his own suspicions mirrored in his brother's expression, but was surprised to find Keith nodding to Kyle in agreement.

"I think that's actually a really good idea," he said, "Henry and I could definitely try more to act the same. It might help if we changed our look to be more like Hikaru and Kaoru."

"Do you mean we'll have to go to school like this?" Henry asked.

"Well, if we dye of hair now, of course we will. But I don't see why that's a problem. It's not like it isn't a natural color."

"I'm pretty sure I've never seen this shade appear naturally on a person."

"You exaggerate."

Henry could see there was no use fighting. Regina and Thomas were already on board with the plan, and he wasn't getting any support from his brother. Besides, it was just a new hair color. It wasn't anything worth fighting about anyway.

"Fine. Let's get it over with."

"That's the spirit!" Kyle said, settling back into his chair, "And might I suggest Regina have the honor of doing the actual coloring?"

"Wha?" Regina said, jolting out of another reverie, "Why me?"

Kyle's smile softened and his voice took on a different tone, lower and more conspiratorial, "Well you dyed my hair, and you did a great job of it."

Regina fidgeted in her seat, her face reddening again. Kyle's stare had pinned her into place like a needle to a butterfly. She stared at her hands and muttered something about being willing so long as Keith and Henry didn't mind.

"Fine, then let's do it." Henry said with resignation, "Where should we go?"

"The master bathroom is the biggest," said Thomas, "It's either that or the kitchen. Anywhere is good so long as we don't get the dye on the carpet."

Keith stood first, taking charge of the small group and leading them into the kitchen. Kyle smiled as he followed the trio out of the room, making some comment about "supervising." Thomas started to go as well, but he hesitated as he past Hilary. He turned around suddenly, setting into the spot recently vacated by Henry.

"Um, Hilary? I actually meant to ask you if you'd formed any New Years Resolutions as well?"

Hilary smiled at him, but shook her head in negation. "I haven't," she said simply, though her brows puckered questioningly as she waited to see where Thomas was going with his questioning.

"The only reason I bring it up is… Well…" Thomas hesitated again, glancing toward Michael, Tyler and Freya. They were completely absorbed in Michael's game, having begun a discussion on which Pokémon was the best. Thomas turned back to Hilary with an indulgent smile, "I asked because I've actually formed a resolution myself this year."

"Really?" Hilary asked. She was ashamed to hear the breathless tone of her voice, but Thomas's smile had set her heart fluttering. Cursing her own girlishness, she made an effort to strengthen her voice when she asked, "Can I ask what it is?"

"Of course, because it has everything to do with you!"

"Me?" Hilary quietly exclaimed. She was curious and surprised to hear this from Thomas, but she refused to make any conjectures that were sure to disappoint her. Thomas was clueless as always. It was best not to get her hopes up.

"Yes," Thomas said, sliding closer toward Hilary. He inclined his head toward her, lowering his voice as if he did not wish to be overheard, "It just occurred to me that we haven't seen each other at all recently. Outside of these meetings, that is. Remember how we used to hang out all the time?"

Hilary smiled faintly, "You mean all the time except when you were with Kyle. You would come help me backstage during rehearsals."

"Yeah! Or when I'd come over and we'd just swap manga or watch movies all day. I miss doing that with you."

Hilary glanced over Thomas's shoulder and saw Tyler watching them with interest. Suddenly, she thought of Henry in the other room, ignorant of the kind of conversation she was having with Thomas right at that moment. She shook her head and leaned away from Thomas, "Well, you've been busy preparing everyone for the con, haven't you?"

"That's no excuse! I have plenty of time to hang out with you. And so that's what I'm going to do. My New Year's resolution is to spend more time with Hilary."

Thomas was grinning, clearly pleased with the resolution he had made for himself and oblivious to Hilary's discomfort. But there was someone in the room with a bigger grin than that of Thomas. Tyler had apparently overheard this portion of the conversation. He bent back toward Michael and Freya, whispering fervently to them both. Hilary was mortified to see Freya and Michael turn their attentions from the game to watch her and Thomas. What must they be thinking of her?

"Hilary? You don't mind do you? Do you think it's a stupid idea?" Thomas asked suddenly, finally sensing that Hilary wasn't quite herself.

"No I don't mind," said Hilary hurriedly, "And it isn't a stupid idea to want to spend time with your friends. But… Why single me out? Have you been spending as much time with Kyle as you do usually?"

"Oh I'm not worried about Kyle," Thomas replied, leaving Hilary to guess at the hidden meanings behind this simple assertion, "And next to him you're probably my closest friend. Besides, I've been spending plenty of time with the others recently. I mean, I see Freya practically every other day."

Hilary's gaze jerked away from the direction of the kitchen. She had been staring off into space, avoiding the eyes of Tyler and the others while thinking about Henry in the next room. But at Thomas's last words, he finally had her full attention, "What's that?"

"Just that I've been seeing a lot of Freya and her dad recently. I like to go over there whenever I can, just to make her feel comfortable as a member of the group."

Hilary tried to keep the jealously out of her voice, which resulted in a flat, deadpan tone, "She's been coming for months now. Don't you think she's welcome enough?"

"Well, yes. But now it's just fun to spend time with her. Tyler must think so too because usually he joins us."

"Oh… Is that so?"

Hilary's gaze shifted again, this time to focus back on Tyler and his crew. They had finally lost interest in her, or at least pretended not to notice the conversation going on between herself and Thomas. Hilary sighed, willing herself to relax. She tried convincing herself that nothing Thomas said made any difference anyway, because he didn't even realize the implication of his own words.

"I'm deluding myself," Hilary muttered under her breath, not really caring if Thomas should overhear.

He didn't, but Kyle did, and as Thomas's best friend returned to the living room and settled into the sofa on the other side of Hilary he responded in a way that surprised her.

"No you aren't," he said while stretching his arms above his head, "And luckily neither am I, which is very good news."

Hilary stared at him, startled, but Thomas laughed and asked, "What are you talking about, Kyle?"

Kyle settled back into the cushions of the couch and smirked, "Tom, I'm winning."


	32. Section 45: The Twins

Section 45: Bad Hair Day

"What the hell is this?"

Henry Hawkins stared at his reflection in horror. Something had gone horribly wrong.

"Henry? Henry what is it?"

"Keith!" Henry called out in response to his brother's concerned question, "Get in here and wash that crap out of your hair quick!"

Sound of footsteps from the kitchen, then Keith and Regina were standing in the open doorway of the master bathroom. Henry brooded in front of the mirror, more angry than ashamed, while Keith snorted in amusement.

Regina was not amused. Her hands had flown to her mouth, slightly muffling her cry of "Oh Henry!"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Henry said, though his growling words were partly drowned out by his brother's laughter.

Keith had finally broken down, unable to contain his amusement. "Orange!" he cried between guffaws, tears striving to leak out of the corners of his eyes, "It's fluorescent orange! Like a traffic cone!"

Henry glared at him, but his mouth was twisting into a grin. "Laugh all you want," he said, "But every second you waste is just a little more time for the same dye that ruined my hair to take effect on yours."

Keith chortled a few more times before being able to control himself, then Henry's words quickly sank in. Pushing past him, Keith dove into the shower and twisted the handles. Cold water burst from the showerhead, but Keith didn't wait for it to warm before thrusting his head into the fount. Orange dye fell in torrents from his hair.

Henry turned away from him to stare down Regina, "What the hell have you done to us?"

Regina shook her head slowly from side to side, her hands still covering her mouth, "I just applied the dye like the box said. I don't know why it turned out this way…"

Henry pointed to his still damp head, "Does this look like the color on the box to you?"

"I don't know what happened…"

"Everything alright?"

Kyle appeared in the doorway just behind Regina, the picture of ease and contentment. He looked past Henry, taking in the color of his hair and the sight of Keith right behind him, desperately purging his hair of the hideous orange dye.

Kyle smiled, "Looks like I didn't get the right shade after all."

Henry ground his teeth together and felt his hands bunch into fists, "You bastard… You sabotaged us. You switched the dye, didn't you?"

"And how would I do that?" Kyle asked calmly, "The box was sealed when I handed it to Keith. Perhaps the dye wasn't mixed correctly."

"That's bullshit and you know it!"

"What's going on?"

Kyle and Henry both turned their attention to Thomas. He had poked his head around the corner to investigate the commotion coming from the bathroom only to find Kyle and Regina blocking his view of the twins. He had been excited to see their new hair colors, but now the only reward he was given was the sight of Henry, clearly upset and in possession of a new unfortunate head of orange hair.

"Regina, why does Henry look like Kyo Sohma?"

"Who the hell is that?"

Regina's expression changed slightly to one of consideration rather than concern, "You know, he would make a great Kyo. Perfect personality for it."

"Does that really matter? My hair is orange!"

"Henry?" Keith called out from underneath the water that still rained down onto his head, "Can you tell me if the water is clear yet?"

Henry calmed himself and detached from the group, peering over Keith into the shower, "Not quite. Let me help."

Thomas turned to Kyle, "Did you have something to do with this?"

Kyle's smile returned slow and easy, "Maybe a little. Just a practical joke."

"Well I don't think it's very funny." Henry growled.

Keith stood up abruptly, cutting off any response Kyle or Thomas might have made. He whipped his head back with the same suddenness, shaking it from side to side like a dog and showering Thomas, Regina and Kyle alike with drops of water. He grinned at their cries of protest, then took a look at himself in the mirror. The dye hadn't had as much time to take effect as it had with Henry, but it had still done its work. In a way, Keith actually looked worse. At least Henry had an even color, even if that color was orange. Keith's hair was in patchy shades of orange and brown, evidently having not been evenly treated in his haste to rinse it out of his hair. But despite the leopard-spotted look of his new hairdo, Keith was not angry as Henry was.

"It's not so bad," he said, "In fact, it could be a lot worse. Besides, we can always dye it again. Not a bad prank, Kyle."

"Thanks. I do try."

"Don't worry about it, Henry," Keith continued before his brother had a chance to vent his anger again, "I'm not mad. We'll grab some other dye on the way home and get back to normal. The Hitachiin shtick will just have to wait."

"If you still trust me to help, then I'll go with you," said Regina, "I can probably do the dye job again. With better results."

Keith accepted her offer graciously, but Henry's eyes had again drifted over to Kyle. His expression was an odd, incompatible mixture of self-congratulation and disappointment. His plan to make fools of the twins must not have resulted in all the satisfaction he had expected.

"All I can say is Tom better have some hats," Henry declared, "I am not going out in public like this."

* * *

"Here we go. This is the same box of dye Kyle purchased."

Regina held the box out for the Hawkins brothers to inspect. She was right, of course, the model on the box could not be mistaken. Still, the brothers only gave it a cursory glance before turning back to the shelves of hair dyes.

"What's the matter? This is the right box…"

"Yes, but forgive us if we're a little reluctant to select anything associated with Kyle at the moment." Keith said. He turned his eyes back to the stacks of hair coloring, "There must be another color here that would work. What do you think, Regina? You're the expert."

Bolstered by Keith's confidence in her, Regina began to diligently search for a new dye. She didn't pay much attention as Henry waved Keith over to his side.

"Hey, I've been thinking…"

"Henry, if you're about to start ranting about Kyle or my relationship with Regina again, then you can stop right there."

"I wasn't going to mention that actually."

"Oh."

Henry grinned, "You said relationship. So you really do have something going on with Regina."

"That isn't what I meant."

"Yeah sure. But really. That's not what I was thinking about. It's this hair thing. Why do we have to have the same color?"

"Um, because Hikaru and Kaoru are identical twins? Did you forget that part?"

"No. But later on Hikaru dyes his hair a darker color, remember?"

Keith paused, then nodded at his brother as their minds connected.

"That does make sense…"

"Because the emphasis is on their similarities…"

"But we know that they aren't the same person…"

"And neither are we…"

"So if you dye your hair darker…"

"Then the emphasis becomes two individual characters…"

"Eliminating the need for us to maintain symmetry…"

""And showing everyone that we're identical, yet different,"" they finished together. The brothers slapped hands, then turned to Regina, their minds made up.

"Hey Queenie," Henry said loudly to draw her attention, "We thought of something we think you'll like.


	33. Sections 46&47: Mori, Hunny, Tama, Haru

Section 46: Breakthrough

"Hey Mike, do you think I'm a bad Mori?"

"Oh absolutely."

Tyler rolled over onto his stomach and frowned, an expression he was getting more adept at using with each passing day. Michael was only giving him half of his attention, as usual, the other half being devoted to his DS. But when Tyler's silence continued on for an inordinate amount of time, Michael finally looked down at him from his perch on the couch. Tyler was clearly troubled. With a sigh, Michael closed the game and nudged the back of Tyler's head with his foot.

"Alright. What is it?"

"Am I really _really_ bad at being Mori?"

"Yes," Michael said promptly, "You've got to be one of the least convincing actors I've ever seen. But who cares?"

"Regina."

"Okay, still not getting why that's important."

"But she's your sister."

"Your point being…?"

Tyler laughed and rolled over again to lay on his back, the better to look up at Michael as he said, "Your sister isn't all that bad."

"That's a matter of some debate in this family. You're not around when she insists on the occasional tea party. I'm just hoping this Lolita thing dies out after the con."

"Okay, so forget about Regina then. What about Tom?"

"I really don't care what he thinks either."

"You might not, but might kick me out of the group."

"Tom would never do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's too close to the con already to replace you, isn't it? And besides, he's already made you a custom outfit. He's even got the summer uniforms now."

"Oh," Tyler said glumly, rolling again onto his stomach and resting his chin on the carpet, "I guess you're right."

Michael slid off the couch and flopped onto Tyler's back, forcing the air from his lungs and leaving him gasping beneath Michael's weight. "Will you stop rolling around on my floor!" Michael shouted over Tyler's gasps, "I can't believe how much this bothers you! What makes you want to be like Mori anyway? Never says a word, complete lack of depth… He's boring! I prefer your strangeness over his depressing silence any day."

Tyler managed to wriggle himself out from under Michael, and the two sat cross-legged on the floor, contemplating each other briefly before Tyler asked, "Okay, so how do you do it?"

"What, act like Hunny?"

"Yeah. I mean, you're also nothing like your character. So what's the secret? Are you just some phenomenal actor in the making."

"No. I'm just well disciplined." Michael said, lifting his chin arrogantly.

"Oh riiiight. You're the Zen master, I forgot."

"Not Zen. Karate."

"Okay, well show me your moves! Let's spar!"

Michael stood up so that he towered imperiously over Tyler, which was something he rarely ever got to do, for obvious reasons. "What would my beating the crap out of you have to do with you becoming a better actor?"

Tyler shrugged, "Dunno, actually. I just thought maybe it would help me understand Mori better. I mean, he doesn't have much personality. He's just Hunny's sidekick, 'innit he? But I know that he knows kung fu and all that. And I suppose he got into it because their families were into it… And since Hunny was into it and… all that…"

"Not kung fu. Karate." Michael corrected again, "And Mori's strong in kendo, remember? If you're really serious about getting into character, you could at least try to get the details right."

"I still think that fighting you would get me into character. Mori and Hunny spar, right? Or is Mori too subordinate to Hunny to ever lay a hand on him? No that can't be right either, because they fought before in that one episode. So yeah, the first idea still holds…"

"You're just talking out your ass aren't you?"

"Maybe a little. I just don't think I'm cut out for this gig."

Michael huffed and grabbed Tyler by his elbow. Before the older boy could comprehend what was happening, Michael had lifted him to his feet and tossed Tyler over his shoulder so that he crashed into the couch, toppling it backward and sending him tumbling to the ground again. Tyler sat on the back of the couch, which was now resting on the floor. He started to laugh.

"Wow Michael! You weren't kidding, were you?"

Michael joined Tyler on the couch, tipping over seat cushions and landing with a soft thud on the back of the sofa. He let his short legs dangle in the air over the seat in a strange parody of a normal seating position. He grinned proudly at Tyler through the blond bangs that had fallen over his eyes and replied, "Did I mention I was a black belt? You're not hurt are you?"

"Nope. Sofa broke my fall."

"Good. Sorry for throwing you, but I was trying to snap you out of it."

"What?"

"Your depression or whatever it is that's messing with your head. Did it work? Are you back to normal?"

"Hm. Hard to say."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, you aren't completely different from Mori. He's got _some _good qualities, and I think you share a lot of them."

Michael spoke with such an air of feigned detachment and reluctance that Tyler couldn't help but smile. He could tell Michael was trying hard to make him feel better.

"Thanks, Mike. Someone else said something similar to me the other day. But I can't help thinking that maybe if I was a little calmer, or a little more quiet, it would be better."

Michael raised his eyebrows, "You know," he said slowly, "If it's any consolation to you, I think Freya also prefers you over Mori."

Tyler looked at Michael in surprise, but the other boy had already avoided his gaze and would say nothing more.

"What are you two doing? And why is the couch lying on the floor like that?"

Tyler and Michael both looked up to see Regina walking through the door with Keith in tow. Keith smiled to see Tyler and Michael seated so awkwardly, but Regina was frowning in judgment of their childishness.

"If you broke the couch again, Mom's going to kill you."

"I was just helping Tyler with his character. I think you're going to be pleased, Regina. He's make a real breakthrough."

"Really?" Regina asked, but Tyler didn't respond. He was still so busy thinking about Michael's last comment that all he could do was smile and Regina and look down at his hands thoughtfully. "Well," said Regina in amazement, "I guess he really has improved."

* * *

Section 45: Thunder and Lightening

With a low rumbling of thunder, the rain began to fall. The staccato sound of a few drops on pavement quickly escalated into a dull roar. Hilary's feet splashed through puddles of rain and melting snow, soaking the legs of her pants and drenching her socks. Her arms pumped mechanically as she ran, panting in the cold air. She gasped as another roll of thunder growled overheard.

"No, no, no!" she begged the gathering grey clouds above, distressed to see their dark masses growing even darker as the rain increased. It was becoming a real downpour, but it wasn't the rain that concerned her.

Suddenly, a flash of lightening illuminated the gloom cast by the clouds for just a moment. Hilary jumped in surprise and then cried out in time with the crash of thunder that followed. She knew it was silly to be afraid of thunderstorms, especially at her age, but she couldn't help it. The bright, unpredictable lightening strikes always frightened her, and the accompanying roar of thunder did nothing to help her anxiety over the next flash. Already she could feel her racing as her breath came in shorter and shorter gasps. She was still a few blocks from home and she was starting to have a panic attack.

"Hilary!" cried out a voice behind her, somewhat faint through the white noise of the rain. She thought it could have been a mistake, but the voice called out to her again, familiar and closer now. She looked back unsteadily over her shoulder and saw Thomas running toward her, head down against the torrent.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. His hair was soaking wet. It suddenly occurred to Hilary that she was also drenched and shivering. She hadn't brought a coat.

"You're wet," she said stupidly, not knowing what else to say.

Thomas laughed and pulled off his own jacket, carefully wrapping it around Hilary's shoulders, "So are you."

Another flash of lightening followed by a boom of thunder. Hilary flinched and shut her eyes tight. Her fingers dug into the fabric of Thomas's jacket and pulled it tighter. Then Thomas was grabbing her hand and pulling her down the street.

"Come on!" he encouraged as they ran, "We need to get out of this weather!"

It was Thomas who took Hilary's spare key to open the door and Thomas who finally closed it behind them. Still grasping Hilary's hand, he led them both through halls he knew very well to gather towels for them both to dry off, then to the kitchen to prepare some hot chocolate. Hilary followed him mutely, trying not to cringe at every roll of thunder.

Soon they were safe and sound on Hilary's living room couch, towels on their shoulders and warm mugs of chocolate in their hands. Hilary suddenly realized she felt much better.

"Tom," she said, pleased to hear that her voice didn't waiver, "What were you doing out there?"

"How long have I known you, Hilary? Since junior high? Did you really think I'd forgotten that you were afraid of thunderstorms? I decided to come over as soon as I saw the weather turning bad."

"So… You came to save me?"

Thomas laughed, taking Hilary's cocoa from her gently and putting on the coffee table next to his, "Well, I didn't think I was going to find you stranded outside! I just thought I'd come keep you company like I promised."

"Promised?

"My New Year's resolution. Did you forget?"

A particularly bright and unexpected flash of lightening caused Hilary to jump in her seat before she could answer. Her head whipped around to look out the window frantically, but Thomas's laugh drowned out any sound of thunder that might have followed. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled Hillary close to him and flipped on the TV with the remote. He turned up the volume to drown out the sounds of the weather, but Hilary could only hear the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears, and it was not pounding out of fear.

"There we go," Thomas said, situating himself and Hilary so that they lay more comfortable together on her couch, "That ought to distract you."

Hilary's head rested on his shoulder. She felt like she was breaking some kind of rule sitting with him like this, but as she looked up at him she decided she didn't care.

"Tom," she said decisively, "You're a great distraction."


	34. Sections 48&49: Renge,Kyoya,Tama,Haru

Section 48: Ritual

"What are those things on your feet?"

"You noticed them, did you? They're those slippers you put in the microwave to warm your feet. They're really comfortable."

"Oh. I thought I saw those on TV."

"Relax. They were a Christmas present from my parents. I solemnly swear that I haven't even considered infomercial shopping since we made our deal, unlike someone I could mention."

Kyle's eyes drifted over Regina suggestively. It was true, she had broken their agreement. Her end of the bargain was not to come over to Kyle's house unannounced anymore, least of all in the mornings. But Regina hadn't informed Kyle of her visit today, mostly because she hadn't realized she was coming. Still, there she was sitting on his couch while Kyle lounged in a nearby armchair, calmly watching her with detached interest. He made her uncomfortable, but she had to say what she came there to say.

"Keith and Henry have re-dyed their hair."

"You mean you helped them. That's fine, I'm sure Tom will be happy with the result?"

"Yes… They decided to do different shades. Henry with dark hair, Keith with the lighter. They both look really good, no thanks to you."

Kyle raised his eyes, "Me? I hope you're not talking about that dumb prank."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. And it was a dumb prank. Very dumb. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it would be funny."

"Well, it wasn't. If I thought you were being mean to Keith on purpose…"

"Will you calm down? I don't have anything against Keith. It's Henry I wanted to mess with."

"Well what has Henry ever done to you?"

Kyle paused, then smiled coyly, "Nothing. He was just spouting off something ridiculous to me the other day, and I thought I'd get him back for trying to get under my skin."

"It sounds to me like he succeeded, if you thought you needed to get back at him."

Kyle was silent again. Regina seemed to have caught his attention, he was actually reflecting on what she said. Regina was proud of herself for having tripped him up for once.

"Maybe you're right," Kyle admitted, surprising Regina, "It's possible Henry did bother me a little. But it's just that he was purposely trying to annoy me. I didn't actually believe what he was saying."

"Well, just leave Keith out of your stupid fights. They aren't the same people, you know."

"You aren't the least bit curious to know what Henry said to me?" Kyle asked, watching Regina closely.

"Not really. But now that you mention it…" Regina hesitated. There was something in Kyle's expression that reminded Regina of a snake staring down a live mouse. She felt like she was walking into a trap as she asked, "What did he say?"

"Something about you and Keith kissing."

Regina's face lit up like a match and had just as much heat. She couldn't meet Kyle's gaze any longer, so she focused on rearranging the lace on her skirt.

"And why would that matter?" she said, trying to sound casual.

Kyle didn't respond. For a while, silence hung in the air between them, heavy and cold. When Regina finally forced herself to look up at Kyle, he was absolutely still, the snake prepared to strike, and he was staring at her with a fierce expression she had never seen before. When he spoke, his voice was like pure venom, "So it's true?"

Rather than balk under his scrutinizing glare, Regina felt a surge of courage fueled by righteous anger. "So what if I kissed Keith? It's not like it's any of your business. I can date who I want."

"But you aren't dating, are you?" Kyle asked, his voice dangerously calm and somewhat smug.

Regina had to acknowledge the truth, "No. We're not really dating. But I did kiss him. And I might kiss him again. Who knows, maybe I'll kiss Henry next time. The point is it's my business and not yours. Why do you care so much anyway?"

Kyle ignored her question and relaxed into his armchair. The look of anger passed from his face as if it had never been there, and in its place came a look of cool amusement, "So you're the kind of girl who'd go around kissing boys at random? That's a surprise."

Regina grabbed her Hello Kitty backpack and marched across the room angrily. She could hear Kyle rise out of his chair and quietly request that she calm down and not get so upset. He hovered nearby as she paused shove her feet back into their impractical shoes.

"Whatever Kyle. The truth is I really like Keith. He's _nice_, unlike some people I could mention. And what does it matter anyway? I don't understand why you're so concerned."

"But I'm not," Kyle said unfathomably. He opened the door for Regina and waited there as she faced him on the doorstep. There was an aspect of contentment in his expression, but underneath that a hint of thinly veiled annoyance. Regina couldn't understand him as he said, just before shutting the door, "You said it yourself. You kissed Keith. But he never kissed you back. So you see, I don't have anything to worry about. Nothing at all."

* * *

Section 49: Looking Forward

The girls of St. Lawrence Academy were gathered in a pack, gossiping with much raucous laughter. They could afford to be boisterous, because the object of their chatter was far away and separated from them by the brick walls and glass doors of their school.

"Who do you suppose he is?"

"I dunno. I've never seen him before. Do you think he's somebody's boyfriend?"

"Do you really think a girl belonging to this school could have a boyfriend like _that_ and keep it a secret? There's no way. He's probably somebody's brother."

"I can't believe you guys don't recognize him! That's Regina's cousin."

"Regina Hoffman?"

"Is there any other?"

"Hey Regina! Your cousin is waiting for you!"

Regina rolled her eyes at the girls' lustful glances. She could acknowledge that her cousin was an attractive specimen of teenage male, but with the resolute attitude of a close cousin, she steadfastly denied that he had any romantic appeal. And yet still the other's envied her. The truth was that if they chose, any one of them could walk up to Thomas and have a friendly conversation with them, but most thought they were too good for that. That was probably why Thomas was waiting outside instead of entering the school to find her. He was intimidated by the young women of St. Lawrence Academy.

"Well, what was so important that you came to find me here?" Regina asked, painfully aware that the after school throng of gossip-mongers was still watching from behind tinted windows.

Thomas displayed his customary smile, the one most girls fell in love with but that Regina described as "goofy."

"I was actually waiting for Freya. Is she still inside?" Regina hesitated, then burst into a goofy smile of her own. This opportunity was too good to pass up, and it would certainly give the chickens inside something to cluck about. "Hang on," she said to her affable cousin, "I'll go get her for you."

Now it was Freya's turn to be embarrassed by the envious stares of the other girls. She had to deal with their whispers as well.

"_Her_? What does he want with her?"

"I think she's in my math class. She's always really quiet."

"Do you think they're dating?"

This last question made Freya's stomach twitch nervously as she stepped outside. She tried to banish it from her mind as she made her way outside to face Thomas. She couldn't afford to show embarrassment in front of him of all people.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bluntly as soon as she was close enough to be heard without shouting.

Thomas faced her bluntness with his trademark honesty, "I came to see you. Are you going home? I'll walk with you."

"Okay."

They walked. Freya, as usual, had nothing to say, so Thomas whistled a tune to alleviate the silence. She found she was used to Thomas by now. Though he'd never visited her at school before, he'd made sure to establish himself as a semi-permanent fixture in her home. It was strange actually, to go from having almost no friends to having Tyler and Thomas join her for dinner almost every night.

"Do you like school?"

Freya glanced at Thomas. He wasn't looking at her intently like he normally did when he asked her a question. Instead he was staring directly ahead, his gaze distant as if he were thinking about something else entirely.

"It's fine." she said conservatively. This was the answer she normally gave her father whenever he asked how classes were going. Normally this was sufficient small talk for anyone, but Thomas kept talking.

"So you like going to St. Lawrence?"

"… I suppose so."

"You don't seem very enthusiastic."

"It's just… school. St. Lawrence has a very good program."

"But what about fun? These are supposed to be the best years of your life!"

"I am having fun." Freya said, neglecting to mention that she'd started having fun only after she'd met him and all of his strange friends, "But I don't buy into that best years of your life stuff. If that were true, then what is there to live for after graduation?"

"I guess you have a point. Are you working toward some goal, then?"

Freya stopped analyzing Thomas's unusually cagey expression and steeled her own, "Yes, I am."

Thomas smiled, "I can't convince you then. I'm sure St. Lawrence is a great way for you to reach your goal." He paused, then stretched his arms over his head as if shaking off the downcast seriousness of his mood, "Ah! I just wish you could go to Oswego with all of us!"

Freya smiled back at him, "Are you in any clubs Tom?"

"Oh, not really. I help Hilary with the drama club sometimes. Sometimes I hang around French Club. And I'm on the soccer team. I won't ask you, because I already know you're not in any clubs… Excepting our arrangement of course. Have you thought about what you'll be doing after all this is over?"

"Not really. I think I'll try getting a part time job."

"I figured you'd say something like that. You know… I think I'll miss seeing you like this… I mean, I won't see you as often once the convention stuff is over."

They had reached Freya's apartment. She fished through her backpack, fishing for her keys with a small frown on her face. "What are you talking about?" she asked, inserting the lock in the door, "You'll still be over here every day."

Thomas didn't respond. Her back was turned from him, so she couldn't see the expression on his face, thought that wasn't her principle concern. She tried to turn the key in the lock, and found that the door was already open.

"Oh, Dad must be home. I didn't know he had the night off."

Ryan was on the couch, lying on his back with one arm tossed over his eyes. He was still dressed in the clothes he wore when working that the grocery store. He hadn't even removed his shoes. At first glance, Thomas thought he was asleep. Then he noticed that Ryan was peering at them sleepily from under his arm.

"Can I get you something to drink, Dad?" Freya asked, pulling off her own shoes and dropping her book-bag to the floor.

"Just a coke, Karen," he mumbled, almost half-asleep. Freya simply nodded and indicated with a wave that it was fine for Thomas to come in. He sat in an armchair and watched Ryan slowly push himself up and lean against the cushions of the couch.

"So it's you today, huh?" he asked, scratching his chin as he appraised Thomas for the umpteenth time. He always made sure to give Thomas the once-over, no matter how many times he came to visit.

"Guess so," Thomas said, as usual disliking this allusion to Tyler. He was Host King after all. He had more a right to visit Freya than Tyler did.

Freya returned quietly, passing both her father and Thomas a cold soda before disappearing again to her bedroom. Ryan cracked open his can and winced as the carbonation hit his tongue.

"The difference between this a beer is that this will wake you up," he stated seriously. Then he took another swig and set the can down on the coffee table. He could continue his stare down of Thomas now with renewed vigor, but Thomas felt he was more than a match for him now. He merely lifted his can toward Ryan in a kind of mock-toast and took a drink. He thought he could handle Ryan's protective-father act now. That is, until Ryan threw him a curve ball.

"So are you dating my daughter."

Thomas started to choke on his pop. As he repressed the urge to spit it out he could feel the carbonation tickle his nose. He coughed a few times, then managed to sputter, "N-No! We aren't dating. We're just friends."

"Sure, that's what they all say in the beginning. What about Tyler? Is she seeing him."

"No sane female would go out with Tyler, sir."

"Well how am I supposed to know? She doesn't tell me anything." Ryan said, his voice touched with embarrassment. Thomas felt a sudden surge of compassion for him.

"I really appreciate you letting her join out club," Thomas blurted, "We couldn't have managed it without your help."

"Hm. Well, she really does seem in a better mood."

"Really," asked Thomas, leaning forward in his chair, "How so?"

"Oh I really can't explain it. She's pretty much the same as she ever was. Though she did try to make me eat sushi the other night. I dunno, I guess she just seems happier somehow. It's good to see her that way, since… Well, you know how it is."

Thomas could only guess at what Ryan was alluding to, though he was too polite to enquire further. Still, the notion that being a member of the club was making Freya happy caused Thomas to also feel pleased. He sat there, pondering this feeling when he realized that whatever it was, it increased when he saw Freya reenter the room, freshly changed out of her uniform.

"If you're staying for dinner, Tom, you might as well walk with me to the store."

She said it with her usual detachment, but to Thomas it sounded as if she had just a bit of positive expectation. So, with a smile to her father and a more cheerful edge to his own voice, he agreed to go.


	35. Section 50: The Twins

Author's Note:

50 Sections! I feel really good about ending the last update of the month on a nice, even number. I can't believe it's already come to section 50! And our characters are fast approaching convention time. Thanks to everyone who has followed the story up to this point. Your support has really motivated me to continue writing this fanfic. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy it. There's plenty more to see. jinxauthor

Section 50: The Secret

Regina's lips were pressed against Keith's, firmly at first, almost desperately, but then they softened until they just barely brushed his own. She squeezed his arms gently before pulling away. The kiss had lasted only a couple of seconds, but it was enough to leave Keith frozen in place.

He had kissed girls before, but he'd never experienced a sneak-attack like the one sprung by Regina. This was no chaste kiss on the cheek either. This had been an all-out declaration of love. Or something like that.

Regina was silent too. She was looking at Keith intently, almost as if she was searching for something in Keith's expression. He had no idea what his face revealed to her, and he was suddenly terrified of what she might see. Another couple of seconds had passed. She stepped away.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

"N-No… It's okay."

Regina glanced at him and smiled shyly. It was an expression of embarrassment, "I guess I'll get going. I'll see you later?"

Keith nodded, watched her walk out the door. He was still rooted in place, trying to deny what had just happened. He'd spent so much time trying to convince Henry that Regina didn't like him that he hadn't seen the warning signs himself. He should have been more prepared.

But the time for that had passed. He knew it as soon as he heard the chuckle behind him which snapped him back to the present.

"Well well well…" Henry said from his perch at the top of the landing, "So much for 'just friends.'"

"Don't Henry." Keith warned, stomping up the few steps toward his brother. His heart, which had been as frozen as the rest of his body during Regina's kiss, started beating wildly as soon as he realized Henry had seen them.

"What? You mean you really want me to miss this opportunity to tease you after I've finally caught you red handed? Just admit that you're dating!"

"We aren't dating!"

"Who's dating?" Mrs. Hawkins called from the kitchen.

"No one! No one is dating anybody!" Keith shouted back. He could feel his ears burning red with embarrassment.

Henry grinned wickedly at his brother but he didn't contradict him. Instead, he silently followed Keith up the stairs and into his room. Keith shut the door behind them and rested against its solid mass for comfort. His heart was still beating too fast and his face was getting flushed.

Henry wasn't experiencing the same discomfort. He was reveling.

"You like her! My brother is in love with Thomas Smith's crazy, geeky cousin who dresses like a fairytale princess!"

"Shut up Henry! You don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sorry Keith. I didn't mean to insult your new girlfriend. But you have to admit, she's really different from the other girls you've dated."

"We aren't dating, Henry. So please…"

"Just admit that you like her! Why does it have to be such a secret? She clearly likes you too so it's no problem!"

"But I don't like her! Not like that." Keith protested, his eyes on his feet. He was becoming more nervous than embarrassed.

"That's bullcrap! I saw you kiss her!"

"No! You saw wrong. She kissed me."

"Even better!"

"No Henry!"

"What's the matter with you?" Henry asked as he crossed his arms. He was starting to feel more exasperated than amused by his brother's stubbornness, "Regina's weird but she's cute. I thought you'd be happy."

"I can't date Regina…. Well I _can_, but I don't _want_ to…"

Henry tilted his head to one side, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm gay."

Silence.

The fact that his brother wasn't speaking told Keith that Henry had heard him loud and clear. As it was, he new it would eventually have to come to this. When Henry had begun berating him, he knew that this was the moment. Their conversation would inevitably lead to this point. Now that it was finally out in the open, now that he had finally said the words, he felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from him. He had no way of knowing how Henry would respond, but for better or worse there was no turning back. With that knowledge came relief, because no matter what happened next he wouldn't have to hide from his brother anymore.

Henry finally spoke, "No you aren't."

Keith's breath came out in a rush. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it. "Yes, I am. I'm gay."

"Stop saying it! It's not true!"

"Yes it is!" Keith insisted. He felt stronger now, as if trying to convince his brother gave him more confidence.

"It's not possible," Henry said, dropping his arms and shaking his head, "You're my brother. We're twins. We're identical."

"We're not the same, Henry."

Henry just shook his head again. Slowly, he moved to the bed and sat down heavily. Keith remained standing for a moment, unsure of himself, then he too sat tentatively next to his brother.

"I wanted to tell you Henry. I've known for awhile. Maybe forever. It's the real reason I broke up with my last girlfriend."

"I thought she broke it off."

Keith didn't respond. He tried taking Henry's hand, but he pulled away.

"Henry please…"

"Stop! Just stop it! I don't want to hear about it."

Keith dropped his hand, "Henry… I'm sorry but… God! I just needed you to know! I hated keeping a secret from you. I just want you to understand…"

His voice cracked with emotion on the last word, and with it went Henry's resolve. He pivoted toward Keith, wrapping his arms around his brother's shoulders and head as if shielding him from harm.

"Didn't you hear me before? I said you're my brother, and nothing you do is ever going to change that."

His tone of voice was fierce. He sounded as if he were reprimanding himself for his temporary anger as well as reminding Keith of their bond. Keith swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat and returned Henry's embrace. They stayed like that for some minutes, each silently entertaining his own thoughts. Keith kept his face hidden in Henry's shoulder until he was sure he was in control of himself, then he pulled away slowly.

"Thank you. I thought that… I was worried you might hate me."

Henry scoffed, "Hate you? Are you stupid? You know that's impossible. I was just surprised."

"Yeah, I get it," Keith said, smiling at his brother's new blasé attitude. He then paused, and his next words were spoken hesitantly, "I want to keep this between us for now. I needed you to know Henry, but I just don't think I'm ready to tell Mom and Dad."

"…You know they'll support you no matter what."

"Sure. But just for now? Can you manage to keep just this one secret? "What's that supposed to mean? I can keep a secret!"

"Yeah sure," Keith said, rolling his eyes, "Like the time you told Kyle about Regina kissing me? Great job with that, by the way."

Henry winced at the recollection. Provoking Kyle hadn't been one of his best ideas. But Keith's reproach reminded him of something else.

"You have to tell Regina."

Keith stared at Henry in surprise, "What?"

"Look, Keith. I'm okay with not saying anything to Mom and Dad or the club or whatever. You don't have to let anyone else know till you're ready. But you have to let Regina know. She really likes you. I get that you don't… or can't like her the same way, but it's obvious she has real feelings for you. You can't keep leading her on."

Keith fidgeted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to Henry being the responsible twin.

"You're right. It's just… I really do like to spend time with her. But for me we're just… friends. And I want her to keep being my friend. So if I have to explain it to her, I will."

"Good." Henry said. He clapped his brother on the shoulder with a jarring force that implied finality, "So that's that I guess… Hey, Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"So you're _really_ sure?"

"Yes."

"Like _really really _sure?"

"Yes, Henry."

"Cause you seem really straight. Like, I'm your twin brother and I couldn't tell." "Gee, Henry. That's comforting. I feel so much better now."

"It's a compliment! I don't mean anything by it."

Keith smiled. He returned his brother's shoulder smack with a vengeance, "I know you don't, you uncouth asshole."

Henry laughed, "So… Does this mean you'll be dating guys now? Cause that might take some getting used to."

"Henry…"

"Do you like anybody now?"

"C'mon, Henry…"

"What about Thomas? We always said if anybody at school were gay, it'd be that guy. Maybe he's into you."

"You can leave my room at any point, Henry."

"What? When you turned gay, did you lose your sense of humor!"

"Out!" Keith shouted and threw his pillow at Henry's head. Henry ducked, just missing the fluffy missile, and laughing he stood up to leave. Keith pursued him to the door, shoving and jabbing him by turns as Henry waved his arms behind him to deflect the blows, just as they did when they were kids.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving! But this isn't over! Soon I will have discovered your type, and then I can be your wing man! There won't be a guy in this town you couldn't win over with my help!"

"There's no way in hell I'd ever take you out to help me pick up anyone!"

"What! This is an outrage! Then just tell me, who's the hottest guy in our host club?"

"That's an easy one," Keith said with a smile, "I am."

"Well, we're identical. So that means so am I."

"Nope, you lack all of my charm. Sorry."

"Be serious! I can't set you up with yourself!"

"Your enthusiasm is reassuring, Henry, but I really don't need your help. Try to focus on your own relationship with Hilary."

"Oh yeah! Hey, I have to go over there today, so I guess we'll have to talk more about this later."

Keith sighed. He really didn't think there was anything else to talk about. He was thrilled that Henry was taking the news of Keith's sexuality so well, but he was almost trying a little too hard to be understanding. To change the subject, Keith asked, "What's going on at Hilary's today?"

Henry grinned, "Hilary mentioned that Thomas was coming over. Apparently, he wants to spend more time with her. So I'm just going to pop over and join them."

"I see. Well, just don't do or say anything you'll regret later."

"C'mon, you know me! I'm just going to hang out with some friends. What's the worst that could happen?"


	36. Sections 51&52: Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru

Section 51: Child's Play

"Milord, I propose a game."

Thomas eyes Henry with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Despite spending a considerable amount of time with the twins over the past few months, Thomas had failed to form a strong connection with either one of them. Of their characters he knew very little. His knowledge of Henry was restricted to the perception that he was fickle and tactless. And though it pleased his vanity to hear them happily adopt the titles used by the Hitachiins, he couldn't help but cringe at the scornful way 'milord' was normally applied.

Still, he desired to be friends with all of his club members, and a friendship with Henry was especially attractive to him, given his new friendship with Hilary. So with cheerful expectation, Thomas deigned to respond, "What sort of game?"

"It's called 'the laughing game.' Keith and I used to play it when we were kids."

"Okay. So what are the rules."

"The rules are very simple. Whoever makes Hilary laugh more over the course of the day is the winner."

Thomas smiled. He already felt he had the advantage over Henry. Being Hilary's friend for a few years now gave him the benefit of experience. He knew just what to do to make her laugh.

"Well then what does the winner get?"

"That's not how it works. When I'd play with Keith, the winner never won anything. It was always the loser who lost something instead."

Thomas paled slightly. Fear of loss had always been a bigger motivator for him than love of gain. For the first time he balked at Henry's proposal.

"Then what are we betting on, here?"

Henry thought about that, "Well, it has to be something important, or else the game is no fun, right? How about dignity?"

"Dignity? How are we supposed to bet with that?"

"I was thinking streaking through the commons at school would do the trick."

Thomas blanched, "Are you serious? You could get expelled for a stupid stunt like that!"

"That just increases the stakes doesn't it? Are you in or aren't you?"

Thomas really didn't want a part of this game. Henry's methods of play seemed a little too malicious. "I don't know Henry… Maybe we could do something else?"

Henry shrugged, "Whatever, _milord_. If you don't want to hang with me you can just say so. I'm probably just a third wheel here anyway… Maybe I should just go and leave you guys alone."

"That's not what I meant!" Thomas cried. He didn't even realize Henry was playing him. "I definitely want you to stay, and I'm sure Hilary would say the same. I'm just nervous, but I'll play."

Henry grinned. Phase one, "nab the sucker" complete. Now all he had to do was win the game.

"We start now," he told Thomas, just as Hilary rejoined their small group. She handed each of the boys a small fruit smoothie, keeping one for herself and taking a sip. He nibbled on the plastic tip of the straw and looked first from one boy to the other.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?"

"Toy store." Henry said instantly. Hilary and Thomas both looked at him curiously. Henry smiled, "I always go to the toy store when I'm downtown with Keith. I want to get him something while I'm here."

Hilary agreed to the plan with a smile. Her look indicated that she thought this was really sweet of Henry. Thomas was more wary. A bunch of teenagers in a kids' toy store? Henry was definitely up to something.

No sooner than they had entered the store did Henry take off at full speed, dragging Hilary along with him. He was quick to show her all of his favorite attractions: the action figures, the bouncy balls, the remote controlled cars. He kept up a steady stream of laughter on his side, in an obvious effort to get Hilary laughing too. But although Hilary smiled at the figurines and the Hotwheel tracks, she was not laughing.

"Hilary! Check out this squishy thing!" Henry placed the flexible rubber ball in front of his face, clamping his hand around one end as soon as Hilary had turned around. The result looked as if Henry had sprouted a bulbous, slightly transparent purple nose. Hilary smiled at him, but still she wasn't laughing.

Thomas was not to be shown up by Henry's antics. While Henry tried bombarding Hilary with ridiculousness, Thomas's tactic was to appeal to shared interests and inside jokes between them.

He had wandered over to a display of dress-up items. Selecting a particularly hideous grey wig, he shoved it over his blond hair and went in search of Hilary.

"Hilary! Doesn't this remind you of Mr. Fredrickson from seventh grade?" Here Thomas struck a pose, his hands resting authoritatively on his hips. In a high pitched, nasally sort of voice he mimicked, "Now kids, I don't think you really appreciate just how elusive a beaver can be!"

Henry didn't even know what Thomas was talking about, but even he burst out laughing when he saw the grey wig. Hilary, however, smiled appreciatively. "Wow, Tom, you do a really good impression of him! I'd almost forgotten about that."

"Hey Hilary check this out!"

With more than a little difficulty, Henry rolled his way over to Hilary mounted on a tricycle meant for someone a third his age. Somehow he managed to steer it right up to her side, then stopped with a short of awkward swagger. "Like my new wheels? Let's you and me take a ride on this bad boy."

Hilary smiled, but not even a chuckle escaped her lips. Henry struggled to crawl off of the trike and promptly tipped himself and his ride onto the floor.

"Oh, Henry! Are you alright?"

"Yeah… Ow…"

Hilary was preparing to help him to his feet when suddenly, a pink rabbit popped its head over a rack of shelves next to her shoulder. "Oh my! Miss, you are sooo pretty!" it said it a voice that sounded suspiciously like Thomas.

To this strange puppet Hilary also offered a smile, "Why, thank you little guy."

"I'm a girl."

"Oh, I do beg your pardon! It's just very difficult to tell…"

Hilary hooker a finger underneath the bottom of the puppet. The rabbit responded by pushing it's paws down to cover the small bit of exposed wrist, exclaiming with a girly wail, "You ruffian! Please respect my privacy!"

To this Hilary finally giggled slightly. Thomas jumped up from his hiding place behind the shelves and pointed to Henry with the had that was still encased in the rabbit puppet.

"That counts, Henry!"

"Does not! That was barely a chuckle!"

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Um… Nothing, nothing…"

And so the afternoon progressed, with neither boy gaining a significant lead over the other. Hilary didn't seem willing to let loose with a real bout of laughter at all. In fact, to both Thomas and Henry she seemed preoccupied with something else.

"I'm bored," Henry said after Hilary had excused herself from their group again, "Do you want to just call off this stupid game?"

"But it was your idea to play in the first place! You only want to back out now because I'm winning."

"As if. You're sucking at this as much as I am. Besides, Hilary isn't feeling it. The game isn't any fun unless she's laughing."

Thomas thought about it and sighed, "You're right."

"Here she comes," Henry said just as Hilary approached them again. She offered them a tired smile and said, "Are you guys about ready to call it a day?"

"Sure, I'll walk you home."

"Actually Tom, I was thinking I'd go with Henry. Is that okay?"

Thomas checked his surprise just in time. He'd almost gaped at Hilary. Instead he shrugged off his curiosity and simply said, "Sure. But I'll see you tomorrow?"

Hilary did look tired, but she also looked happy and content when she said, "Of course."

* * *

Section 52: Endgame

Henry had only been walking by Hilary's side for a few blocks, enjoying the comfortable silence between them, but still wary. He was wary because he knew the silence must end soon, and he really didn't want to have the conversation that followed.

"Henry, I asked Tom to let you take me home because I wanted to talk to you alone," Hilary began, fulfilling Henry's prediction to the letter.

Henry steeled his nerves and prepared for disappointment, "I figured as much."

"It's just… I feel guilty."

"Well, don't worry about it! Problem solved!"

"I'm serious, Henry. You know I like Tom."

Henry winced, "Yeah, I know. But why do you have to go and bring it up?"

"It isn't fair to you. I can't keep leading you on when I have feelings for someone else."

"I really don't mind; I like spending time with you."

Henry tried to take Hilary's hand but she shook her head and pulled away. They stopped walking, somewhere near a park by Hilary's house. It was the same park where Kyle had taken pictures of the group not long ago. Henry wondered if Hilary still had the one of him.

"I like spending time with you, too," Hilary admitted after another prolonged silence, "But I think we should just be friends, if that's okay."

It was Henry's turn to shake his head in negation. "It's not okay. I like you too much to be put in the friend zone, Hill. I knew you liked mil… Tom from the very beginning, and that's fine. Just don't ask me to give up on you."

Hilary looked at him with wide-eyed surprise, then she stared at her feet. Henry couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or feeling even more guilty. He hadn't meant to upset her, but he had to speak his mind. Still, the possibility that he might be making an ass of himself also crossed his mind.

"I'll back off," he said, tilting Hilary's face up with his forefinger so he could look her in the eye, "I'll wait and see how things pan out for you and Tom. But… He might already like someone else."

Hilary held her eyes closed for a few moments. When she opened them again she said the name that had been on Henry's mind, but that he'd been too afraid to say, "Freya."

"… Yeah. And if he doesn't, you know, return your feelings, I'm not holding back any more. If he's too stupid to see what he has in you, then that's all the better for me. But seriously, don't expect me to be just a friend until then."

"Okay."

"No seriously. Look at me. See how serious I am right now. You don't get this side of me everyday, you know."

Hilary laughed - the kind of laugh that comes out as a choked sob of relief before turning into giddy mirth. Henry smiled too and reached for her hand again. This time she didn't pull away.

"Looks like I won the game after all."


	37. Sections 53 thru 56: Valentine

Author's Note: Sorry it's a little late, but I've finally finished the Oswego High School Host Club Valentine's Special! Sure it's a week late, but better late than never! Enjoy. jinxauthor

* * *

Section 53: Valentine Part One

"Here."

Regina thrust the red and pink box under Keith's nose. Her face was crimson with embarrassment and she would not look at him. He had expected something like this, it being Valentine's Day and all, but he was still dreading the moment when Regina would present him with a gift. Now here she was, at his house once again, and she had barely stepped through the door before she'd forced the box into his hands. Keith was completely unprepared for this. "I hope you like chocolate. I, um, made them myself."

Keith lifted the lid hesitantly, "You made them?"

"Well, I got some help from Thomas."

Keith nodded and replaced the lid, "Regina, why don't we sit down? There's something I have to tell you."

He started to take Regina's arm, but she pulled away from him, "Wait, Keith! I… There's something I have to tell you too."

Keith blushed. He could imagine what it was Regina had to tell him. He braced himself for the coming humiliation and directed Regina to the couch. They sat next to each other, the distance between them a little wider than was normally their custom. Neither of them spoke for a few moments, although both had reported that they had something to share.

Keith took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge. "Regina," he began, "The thing is… The way I feel about you…"

"I'm so sorry!" Regina blurted before Keith could finish, "I've been leading you on! I know it was wrong… But I really do like you!"

Keith was confused, and his bewilderment only increased when Regina scooted closer to him and took one of his hands in hers. She was agitated, but this wasn't the love confession he'd expected.

"The truth is I was really trying to… _like_ you. But I just can't see you as anything other than a good friend. I don't know what's wrong with me. You're so nice, Keith. Any other girl would love you but… I just… I'm sorry."

Keith struggled to reorient himself to this new situation, "Wait… Are you… Rejecting me?"

Regina threw her arms around Keith's neck, forcing him back into the cushions of the couch.

"I'm sorry! You're so great, Keith. But I like someone else. I know I shouldn't. He's terrible. But I can't help it. Please don't be mad at me!"

"But the chocolates…"

"Oh, they're for you." Regina detached herself from Keith, her attention shifting to the box. For the first time Keith noticed a similar package poking out of Regina's bag nearby.

"Please don't give them back. I really made them just for you. They're… Like a peace offering. I hope we can still be friends."

Keith stared at Regina, still recovering from his shock. Of course everything was starting to fall into place. He could see exactly what must be going through Regina's head right now in the heightened color of her cheeks. He smiled and took Regina's hand.

"I understand, Regina. Thank you."

She blinked at him. She actually looked like she might cry. "You're not mad?"

"I… I'll manage. But I want to be your friend, too. It's okay if you like someone else."

"I should have known you'd be so understanding," Regina said as Keith lifted the lid off of his chocolates. "God, why couldn't I have fallen for you instead of… that guy."

"It's really okay," Keith said hurriedly. He popped a chocolate into his mouth, surprised by how good it tasted, "Thomas helped you with these?"

"Well, I did all of the work. He just showed me how to do everything."

"Right. Well you did a really good job."

Regina squeezed Keith's hand in thanks and then began to gather her things, "I should go now. I only just stopped by to give you your chocolates and apologize… You're sure you're okay?"

"Oh, sure. I'll muddle through. Actually, I can't say I'm surprised." Keith noticed the edge of the other box of chocolates again as Regina lifted her bag, "Kyle's going to love the chocolates, by the way."

Regina blushed, "Who said I was giving chocolate to Kyle? I mean… Why would I give him chocolates to begin with?"

"Regina, please. Don't insult my intelligence."

Her blush faded as Regina looked down at her platform shoes, "The truth is, I'm not sure I even want to give him the chocolates. He'd probably just make fun of me. He always makes fun of me."

"He only does that cause he likes you."

"No. He's pretty much the same to everybody."

Keith laughed and hugged Regina, but he didn't try to deny what she'd said. It was true that Kyle could be a little off-putting, even unfathomable at times, but Keith knew that he liked Regina as much as she liked him. Regina was just going to have to figure that our for herself.

Regina stayed in his embrace for a moment, then pulled away slightly so she could look in his face, "Say, do you still have something to tell me?"

"What? Oh yeah… You know, it isn't even important anymore."

* * *

Section 54: Valentine Part Two

"These are for you."

The flowers were forced into Hilary's hands before she even knew what they were. She stared down at the bouquet with little surprise, noting the mixture of pink and yellow roses wrapped in white paper. She counted a dozen individual flowers among the white baby's breath and shook her head at the extravagance. Roses were expensive.

"Henry… You know you shouldn't have."

The phrase was cliché, but her tone carry the usual ironic joy. Hilary was serious. She was disappointed in Henry.

He noticed her apprehension and bristled defensively, "Now don't get all uptight about it. I said I'd back off and I have. But you can't expect me to just ignore you on Valentine's day. Besides, friends can give valentines to friends."

Hilary looked at the flowers again and smiled. Henry did have a point, even if it was twisted to suit his own purposes.

"Then thank you Henry. They're very beautiful."

Henry grinned with pride, then checked himself before getting too excited. "So, have you gotten any other valentines?"

"Tom gave me a rose and some chocolate today."

She immediately regretted telling him when she saw how Henry's face darkened at the news, but she wasn't going to lie to a direct question. Still, she couldn't help but try to make him feel a little better.

"Don't worry," she said, "He gave the same thing to Kyle. He does this every year, it doesn't mean anything to him." She knew it was true as soon as she said it, but it still hurt to admit that a gift that meant so much to her was just another sign of friendship to Thomas. He never treated anyone better or worse than anybody else. In some ways, Hilary thought that was more cruel than it would be to forget about her entirely on Valentine's Day. At least she'd be receiving differential treatment.

Maybe Henry sensed her feelings or maybe he was just too caught up in his own thoughts, but he didn't press the subject. They continued walking down the halls of the school in silence, Hilary cradling her bouquet and drawing jealous looks from the other female students.

"Henry! Wait up!"

They both stopped at the familiar voice calling out to them. Hilary made a conscious effort to keep her expression the same, but she couldn't think of a worse time for Thomas to burst upon them, especially with the gift he bore.

Indeed, Thomas was carrying not a single bouquet, but scores of white roses. The bunch of them was so large that other students were giving him a wide berth in the already crowded halls. He extracted one of these roses from the group and handed it to Henry along with a small box of chocolate.

"I've been looking all over for you. I found Keith this morning but you weren't with him. He said I'd probably find you with Hilary." Thomas looked at the girl in question with a smile, then he noticed the roses in her arms. "You've got more flowers!"

"Yes… They're from Henry."

Thomas raised his brows in surprise, "Well that's nice. They're quite beautiful."

"We're just friends of course," Hilary said quickly, not wanting to give Thomas the wrong impression, "It's really nothing."

"Or maybe it's something." Henry said, glaring at Thomas. Thomas and Hilary both gaped at him. For her part, Hilary was horrified. Was Henry already going back on his promise to back off for awhile?

Thomas had recovered from his confusion enough to say, "Okay. Well, I'll see you guys later. I have more of these flowers to deliver before next period. Happy Valentine's Day."

He moved away from them, parting the crowd with the massive bouquet, occasionally plucking a flower from the bunch to hand to a passing female, faculty and student alike. Henry watched him go with disgust.

"I told you he treated everyone the same," Hilary said with a sad smile. She inclined her head in the direction of Henry's gift.

"It's not right, him acting that way." Henry said.

"It is if he doesn't have any particular girl in mind," Hilary countered calmly, "It would be different if he actually had a girl he liked. So I guess I should be happy that I still have a chance."

"I'm so not eating these," Henry said abruptly. He handed the chocolate and rose to Hilary. "You have them. Add it to your bouquet."

Hilary shook her head, "Don't get angry on my account, Henry. You should at least enjoy the chocolate. I'm sure he made them himself."

"It's not about you. I just can't stand that guy. But if you won't take them, then fine," he dropped both flower and chocolate to the floor and lifted his foot as if to crush them, then thought better of it. His foot returned to the floor without inflicting any damage. "I'll see you later, okay? Class is going to start soon."

"Okay." Hilary said as he turned away. She was about to leave too. The flowers would need to be stored in her locker during class to avoid any more curious stares. But before she hurried away, she knelt to the ground. Balancing her books and bouquet in one arm she carefully picked up the rose Henry had left behind. She added it to her dozen other roses and smiled. The white petals of Thomas's rose stood out sharply against the yellow and pink of Henry's gift.

* * *

Section 55: Valentine Part Three

"Please stop coming to see me at school."

"But I had to! It's Valentine's Day and I wanted to give you your gift!"

"Then wait till I get home!" Freya shouted.

"And miss an opportunity to walk there with you? Never."

Freya glanced around and sighed. She noted the hostile looks of the St. Lawrence students leaving school for the day. Those who weren't openly glaring at her were whispering in groups. She had no doubt they were talking about her and Thomas.

"You're trying to get me killed aren't you?"

"What?"

"Never mind. What's this gift you brought me?"

"Well you see…" Thomas began a little shyly, "I was going to give you a rose as part of your gift, but I underestimated the amount I'd need. I'm afraid I gave the last one to Regina just now."

"Oh… Well that's fine. I don't really like cut flowers anyway. They just die in a couple days."

"Really? I'm sorry to hear that, because when I ran out of flowers I ran to the store and picked these up on the way here."

Thomas pulled the bouquet of flowers out from behind his back, a dozen pink roses. These and a small box of chocolate were forced into Freya's hands.

"Oh god," Freya said before she could help it, then she quickly corrected herself, "I mean, thank you Tom."

"Do you like them? I thought pink would suit you."

"Er… Yeah, they're nice."

"Great!" Thomas said as they started walking. Freya wanted to get away from the school as soon as possible, especially now that she was the embarrassed bearer of an over-the-top bouquet of roses.

"You know," Thomas continued, "Strictly speaking I love Valentine's Day. It's my favorite holiday next to Christmas. But I wish we did it more like the Japanese do."

"Really? How's that?"

"Well you know how in America there's this huge pressure put on the guy to get the girl something nice for Valentine's Day? Jewelry, chocolate, whatever… Well, in Japan the couples do that, but it's also common for girls to give chocolate to the guy they like on that day. Then on White Day, the guys have the opportunity to return their gift with something of their own."

"White Day?"

"March fourteenth. A month after Valentine's Day."

"Got it. So you're saying you want something from me on White Day?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant at all! I…"

"It's okay. I was just kidding."

Thomas stared at Freya. She didn't look like she was kidding. She looked completely serious when she asked. Something about that made him the corners of lips slowly form into a smile.

"Do you like Valentine's Day Freya?"

Freya considered this for a second, then said carefully, "Ever since mom left, Dad has taken me out for dinner every year on Valentine's Day. I never really thought about it before, but I guess I like that tradition."

Thomas froze at the mention of Freya's mother. He'd never heard Freya mention her before. While the curiosity was eating at him, he was never sure if it was appropriate to ask. Even now when Freya had brought it up herself, it just didn't seem appropriate to pry. He remained silent.

"We'll be at the convention on White Day, won't we?" Freya asked after a considerable amount of silence.

"Yes," Thomas replied after some thought, "That Saturday I think."

"Right." Freya said with a determined nod, "I'll remember that."

* * *

Section 56: Valentine Part Four

Michael carefully selected another chocolate and popped it into his mouth with relish. He allowed the candy to melt on his tongue, enjoying the flavor the way a wine connoisseur enjoyed a fine vintage. A person shouldn't rush their enjoyment of good chocolate, was Michael's thought, and he'd really done well for himself this Valentine's.

He didn't particularly like the attention he got from the girl's at school. Most of them were too silly or too dull to be worth attending to. And then some of them were way to persistent. Even a crabby attitude like Michael's wasn't enough to keep them away. But on rare occasions they had their uses. Valentine's Day was one such occasion.

"Jeez, I thought you weren't into sweets."

Michael looked up with surprise to see Tyler standing behind the couch. Feeling embarrassed at being caught enjoying his guilty pleasure, Michael was immediately grouchy.

"Don't you ever knock?"

"No."

"This isn't your house. You shouldn't just walk in."

"Then you shouldn't leave your door unlocked. I swear, sometimes I just walk in when you aren't home. I rearrange the furniture in the living room and hide things in your room to see if you'll notice."

"That's _you_? My parents are going to get a new home security system because of that!"

"It's not like I'm stealing anything," Tyler said as he vaulted over the back of the couch and landed next to Michael. He grabbed one of the chocolates and popped it into his mouth, munching it quickly without properly enjoying it. "So what's the deal with all the candy?"

"I never said I didn't like chocolate. I just don't really care for cake and stuff like that. Chocolate is different."

"So you go out and buy yourself Valentine's chocolate every year? That's sad, bro."

"_No_. It's given to me. It's not like I even ask for it. But girls like to give me the stuff."

Tyler stared at Michael with amused astonishment. "Never thought you'd be such a lady killer."

"I don't know what their problem is. I don't like any of them."

"So you take chocolate from girls with no intention of accepting their feelings."

"Don't make it sound like I'm a bad guy."

"If it sounds that way to you, maybe it's because you are kind of a bad guy."

He said it with a smile, but Michael took him seriously. "Well what else should I do? Tell them to take their chocolate and shove it? That'd be worse."

Tyler chuckled, "Yeah, you're right."

Michael handed him another piece of candy, one which he knew carried a less-than-desirable filling, "What about you? Did you get anything for Freya?"

Tyler shook his head, "Too soon. Besides, I saw her walking home with Thomas today. She was carrying this massive bouquet. I can only assume he got it for her. I'd rather wait and see how that turns out."

"You must not like her too much then, if you're willing to let Thomas get to her first."

Tyler said nothing. He'd popped the chocolate into his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. "Mike, did you give me the toothpaste-filled one on purpose?"

"Absolutely."


	38. Teaser Chapter: Haruhi

Author's Note: In order to show that I haven't abandoned my readers or forgotten about this story, merely become swamped with the demands of a college curriculum, I decided to submit a short teaser for your enjoyment. As finals draw near I don't anticipate having a lot of time to write over the next month, but the story is nearly complete! I will steadily continue writing up to the very end, and once it's all worked out you can once again expect regular updates. For now, I hope this will do. Happy Reading. jinxauthor

* * *

Teaser Chapter: Con. Prep.

Freya packed the last of her clothes - an extra pair of socks - and zipped the duffle bag closed. She stepped back a pace, staring at the small bag. Packing didn't take her as long as she thought it would. Granted, she wouldn't need many things for a two-night stay, but still she felt unprepared looking at her luggage. What kinds of things would she need once she was at the convention.

Her gaze roamed over her costume where it hung on the closet doorknob. Thomas had insisted everyone hang their outfits properly in order to prevent wrinkling. She expected to be wearing either the summer or winter uniform throughout the duration of the con, so there was really no reason to bring a lot of clothes. Still, she'd packed a couple outfits just in case.

She was just considering whether or not she should go ahead and throw some homework in her suitcase when a dull footstep alerted her to the presence of someone in the doorway. She smiled at her father and motioned to her bag, "Well, it looks like I'm all packed."

"That was fast," said Ryan. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking first at his daughter, then at the powder blue uniform hanging beside her, "So what're you doing again? Dressing as a boy?"

"No. I'm dressing as a girl who's dressed as a boy."

Ryan smirked, "Right. Well so long as you'll be safe…"

From the way he let his sentence trail off Freya could guess that there was something on her dad's mind. She surveyed his expression carefully and tried to say in the most casual manner possible, "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no. It just occurred to me that, well, I hadn't heard anything about a chaperone. You kids won't be able to get a hotel room by yourselves, you know. I just want to know what the plan is."

Freya hesitated. It hadn't occurred to her to ask about which parent was hosting their trip either, but she knew if Ryan heard that he might tell her she couldn't go. She ran her fingers along the fabric of the bag, keeping her eyes steadily on her father. She couldn't let him keep her from going with the guys. They'd be so disappointed.

Ryan broke the silence between them. "It's just… If you guys needed a chaperone then I could call in sick and get the weekend off. I don't mind taking you kids to the city for this 'con' thing."

"Oh," Freya sighed. She shook her head as she suddenly remembered something she'd heard Thomas say the other day. "I don't think you have to worry about that, Dad. Thomas said that Kyle was handling the hotel reservations, and we're all going to ride in his mom's van. One of his parents must already have it covered."

Ryan's look brightened. "Kyle's parents? Oh well that's good. I haven't met them but that Kyle seems like a responsible kid. I guess I'll just give you this, then."

He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed a wad of bills to Freya. She fanned them out and looked at the faces of five Andrew Jackson's staring back at her.

"I don't need this," Freya said as she tried to hand the bills back to her father. Ryan held up a hand to block her. "Take it," he said. "I want you to have fun while you're there. And you never know what you might need in an emergency."

Freya felt uncomfortable taking the money from her dad. Who knew how many nights of tips he had to save to get this amount? But she knew she'd be fighting a losing battle to protest further, so she simply nodded and slipped the money into her pocket.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Don't mention it. Oh, and since I guess you're done packing you can go to the living room and entertain your guest."

"What guest?"

Ryan grinned, "I'll give you just two guesses."

Freya frowned. Could Thomas possibly have arrived early? She asked her father if this was the boy waiting for her. He shook his head. "Try again."

Freya smiled and slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, grabbing the costume on the way out. She found Tyler in her living room with a similar bag at his feet, just as expected.

"Figured it'd be easier for the guys if they could make less stops," he said as he stood to greet Freya.

"That's a good idea. Do they know you're going to be here?"

"I just called them," he said, showing her the cell phone in his hand, "They just got Michael and now they're on their way here."

Freya stared down at the phone. She thought of the crunch a similar model had made under her foot just a few months ago and was suddenly reminded of why she had agreed to go on this trip in the first place. Somewhere along the line, she forgot she was supposed to be making it up to Tyler. How did that happen?

"You know, it's going to be a lot of fun hanging out with you and the guys this weekend. I'm actually really excited."

Freya looked at Tyler and saw he wasn't lying. The boy could barely contain his emotions. She smiled slightly when she realized he had pretty much mirrored her own thoughts.

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

"I think they're here for you," Ryan said suddenly. He opened the front door and waved at the vehicle outside. Freya and Tyler heard a car horn beep twice and grabbed their bags. Sure enough, Thomas was hanging out the passenger window, waving and encouraging them to hurry.

"Bye, Dad!" Freya called as Henry slid open one of the mini-van doors to admit them. Ryan stood on the second floor landing and continued to wave until the vehicle was out of sight.

When she could no longer see their apartment, Freya settled into her seat. Henry and Keith sat in the very back with Michael between them. Tyler had taken the seat next to her. Freya was just about to ask where Kyle was when she saw that he was the one driving the van.

"Um. I thought one of Kyle's parents was taking us?"

"No," Kyle said. "My mom just said I could borrow her van. It was the only thing that would fit all of us."

"But what about the hotel? We can't make a reservation without an adult."

"I said I'd take care of that didn't I?" Kyle asked carelessly, his eyes focused on the road as they neared the end of town, "The reservations taken care of. Don't worry about it."

"So… There's not going to be a single adult to chaperone us?"

"That's not a problem, is it Freya?" Thomas asked, twisting around in his seat to get a good look at her, "Kyle and I do this every year for the con, and it's never been a problem."

"No. I guess it's okay."

She looked at the guys surrounding her. Henry and Keith in the back tormenting Michael already. Tyler laughing and threatening to beat them up at the same time. Thomas had put in a CD and was singing along to a theme song to some anime. Under all the noise, Kyle continued to drive in silence. Here was the closest thing to chaperone this group would have, and he didn't seem to care what they did.

Freya sighed. This was going to be an interesting weekend.


	39. Sections 57 thru 59: Registration

Section 57: Check-In

Freya couldn't help but stare as yet another catgirl cosplayer walked by. She wasn't sure how the fur was able to stay on so strategically without slipping off, but the girl certainly had a lot of skin showing. She was just thinking that some sort of adhesive must be involved when the girl suddenly glanced her way. Freya had to quickly switch her gaze elsewhere, and to her misfortune found herself gaping at a group of scantily clad schoolgirls instead.

Just as she was beginning to wonder if anime conventions were like Halloween - just another excuse for girls to dress like hookers - Tyler and the twins collided with her.

"Watch it!" she shouted as she barely maintained her balance.

Tyler gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Freya, do you know what we just saw!" His tone was tense.

Freya waited for him to speak again, but he merely stared at her earnestly. She would not need to ask the obvious, however, because Henry was already pushing him out of the way to vie for her attention. "We saw a man," he said, "Dressed as a girl."

"So?" Freya asked, thinking of one memorable occasion years ago when her own father had dressed as Dr. Frankenfurter for a midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"No, you don't understand! This wasn't like Rue Paul," Keith added, somewhat out of breath from running around in a panic with his brother, "He was this middle-aged accountant-type dressed in a frilly pink outfit… Like the kind Regina wears."

"It was the single most disturbing thing I've seen in my entire life." Henry finished.

They were crowding Freya, as if looking for comfort in her stable, calm presence. She was forced to take a step back in order to get some breathing room. "Well, Tom did say that we'd probably see some strange cosplayers. Try to think of it as a learning experience."

"Where is Tom anyway?" Henry asked. He glanced over the hotel's lobby, scanning the faces of various cosplayers just checking in and a few normal hotel patrons. The latter were easy to pick out because of their worried, wide-eyed expressions. "Come to think, where is Kyle?"

"Kyle's checking into the rooms and Tom's still in line for our badges."

"And they left you to watch everyone's luggage?" Tyler asked with a smile.

Freya scowled at him. It was the troublesome trio who had abandoned her as soon as they'd walked through the door, not Kyle and Tom. At least they were off doing something productive. Still, she didn't see anything about the situation worth arguing about.

"I don't mind," she said instead. "I've just been looking at all the people passing through. I feel pretty bad for the regular hotel guests. I wonder if they knew the hotel was hosting a convention this weekend?"

"Probably not, poor devils. Some of them look like they've just stumbled into the twilight zone." Tyler also gave the lobby a once over, scanning the room for a certain blond head. "Where did you say Michael went again?"

"I didn't," said Freya, "I haven't seen him since you guys took off. I thought he'd gone with you."

Tyler frowned, "You mean you don't know where he is?"

Freya shrugged just as Kyle and Thomas rejoined the group. Thomas was holding a bundle of passes in his hand, each attached to a lanyard. He smiled and spun them above his head as he neared the group. "Here we go! One for everybody!"

He personally placed one over Freya's head, but Kyle was able to snatch another out of his hand before the same courtesy was given to him. "And I have keycards for everyone," he said. Then he consulted a list in his hand. "We have two rooms on the third floor, side by side and adjoining. Now, each room has two queen-sized beds, so we're going to have to double up. Henry and Keith will share a bed, of course, then Tom and Michael. Freya gets her own bed, and that leaves Tyler and I in the last."

Tyler raised his hand, "Objection! Why do I have to share a bed with you? You don't even like me."

"When did I ever say I didn't like you?" Kyle asked with an expression that clearly demonstrated the extent of his dislike, "And besides, you don't have much choice. Tom is sharing with Michael because they're cousins."

"I get that, but why should Freya get her own bed?"

"Are you really suggesting that you share a bed with Freya?"

"Well… I just don't see what makes her so special."

"She's a girl, Tyler. End of discussion." Thomas said with uncharacteristic seriousness, "So if everyone has a key to the room, we can go now and get changed. I grabbed some event schedules too, so we can look at them once we get changed."

"I can already tell you I'm going to every video game panel and tournament. The rest of my time will probably be spent in the gaming room." Kyle said decisively as the grabbed a program from Thomas's hands.

"But don't you want to attend the voice actor Q and A forum?" Thomas asked.

"Wait wait wait…" Henry interrupted, "Did I hear Kyle say we can play video games?"

Kyle nodded, "There's always a room set up for the usual games, and sometimes you can play a new release or demo game fresh from Japan. Not a bad set up actually, if you don't mind sharing."

"Well, looks like I know how I'll be spending my entire weekend." Henry said as their group piled into a single elevator.

"Don't say that!" Thomas protested, "There's a lot more to do at a convention than just play the video games!"

"Example?" Keith asked skeptically.

"Well, how would you like to attend the maid café?"

"At the risk of asking a question with a self-explanatory answer, what the hell is a maid café?"

"Cute girls dressed as maids serving you tea and cookies." Kyle said passively.

Keith continued to look disinterested, but Henry and Tyler both considered this information seriously. "Okay," Henry said, "We take a break for that, then we play more games."

Thomas sighed in resignation, "Well, at least keep in mind that I want you entertaining as well as having fun. Try to remember to stay in character! Embody the Host Club while you're here!"

"Starting when?"

The elevator doors slid open to the third floor. Thomas hefted his heavy costume bag and smiled. "Now, of course."

* * *

Section 58: The Search Begins

"Are you leaving already, Tyler?"

Tyler glanced over his shoulder as he finished tugging on his shiny black dress shoes. Freya looked down at his crouching form curiously; her blue Ouran blazer draped casually over one arm.

"Yeah, I'm worried about Mike. He's still MIA from earlier."

Rather than feed Tyler the usual shallow reassurances that Mike was probably okay and just too excited about the con to waste time in the room, Freya merely nodded. "Okay. I hope you find him soon."

"Oh, I'm sure he's already engrossed in a heated Pokémon debate," Tyler said as he straightened up, "But I'll give you a call once I've found him."

"Hold on a second," Freya said, catching Tyler's arm just as he was about to leave. She tugged Tyler's poorly executed tie into place and readjusted the knot. Satisfied in her work, she patted Tyler's shoulder and turned him to the door. "Good luck. Try to be stoic."

"Thanks," Tyler said. He caught her hand just before he left and gave it a quick squeeze. In the hall, he chuckled to himself. He was aware of a bizarre desire to kiss Freya's hand, like some sort of gallant knight.

"No, not a knight." Tyler said to himself, "Like a host."

He laughed again as he passed a group of samurai cosplayers who jumped in surprise.

"Whoops," Tyler thought to himself, "Gotta stay in character."

But he couldn't help but break into a grin when he entered the convention center. Manga and anime fans from all over had gathered in all their geeky-regalia for the opening ceremonies. Tyler was resisting the urge to dash from one person to the next with a tremendous amount of willpower. He wanted to know who each person was dressed as, whether or not they were convention novices like himself, what events they were most excited about and whether nor not they knew what the hell was going on and if they'd seen Michael anywhere. Doing everything he wanted to do and staying in character was starting to sound a lot harder than he thought it would be.

* * *

Section 59: Crossover

Michael wandered from stall to stall in the vendor's room. Even without his badge he'd slipped into the convention center easily. Security was pretty lax with all the preparation going on, and besides, Michael was pretty small. For once he was thankful for his small stature.

Relishing the ninja-life feeling he got for sneaking around before the official opening, Michael crept among the artists preparing their original prints and the company employees representing large manga publishers. Most of their work was almost done and Michael could tell with was almost time for things to really get started. He'd have to go find the others soon and change into his costume.

As he loitered near one table, a pair of girls dressed in full cosplay passed near him.

"Do you just want to meet me in the maid café later? I promised Taylor I'd help her with her display once we were done at our table," the girl wearing an elaborate Victorian style jumper was saying.

"Fine by me," her friend responded drolly, "I'll try to keep dear Sebby from running away."

Michael didn't need the friend's face to know she was rolling her eyes. He could hear it in her voice, "Yeah, I recommend a collar and leash. Sorry about him."

"Can't be helped."

"Well, just remember we can threaten him if need be. If he gives you too much trouble, you know how to reach me."

"Sure, I'll see you."

"Okay, later Riko."

Michael had been starting to drift off when the name suddenly caught his attention. Did that girl just say Riko?

The girl in question was wearing a wig with short, dark grey hair. One of her eyes was covered with an eye-patch while the other glanced in Michael's direction with the artificial intensity of blue contact lenses. From head to toe she was dressed as a boy, but the clothes were of a boy from a different era. A silk top-hat with a black ribbon rested on her head. She wore a black overcoat over a grey tweed vest. Her pressed white shirt was tied at the neck with a black silk necktie.

Despite all of this careful costuming, it was obvious she was a girl. Michael could see it instantly from the cut of her vest and coat to the slenderness of the legs poking out of her grey breeches.

He gaped at her in surprise, certain he had the wrong person.

"You're Riko?" he blurted unceremoniously moments after the girl's friend had run off.

The girl jumped in surprise. He focused her attention on Michael and narrowed her visible eye. Her face was twisted in confusion.

"I mean, are you Riko Tetsuya?"


	40. Section 60: Hunny and Mori

Section 60: Making Friends

"Are you Riko Tetsuya?"

Her bewildered look informed Michael that he had guessed right. They stared at each other in silence, each baffled for their own reasons.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to look so… old fashioned." Michael said. "I thought for sure you'd be a Sailor Moon or a Cardcaptor Sakura or something girly like that. Who are you supposed to be anyway?"

Riko gave him her fiercest glare and took a step back, "How do you know who I am?"

"Oh, sorry. I know your grandpa."

"Grandpa? You mean Grandpa Isao? How the hell do you know him?!"

"Uh, it's a long story. But he said you were into really girly anime. Why are you dressed like a boy?"

"I'm Ciel Phantomhive," Riko said defensively as a man suddenly materialized by her side.

"Is there a problem_, my lord_?" the man asked. He sounded bored and more than a little annoyed.

Michael noticed that he was dressed in the same style as Riko, only he was clearly meant to be some sort of servant. He was older, perhaps in his twenties. As Michael started up at him, he wondered if he was taller than Tyler.

"_Sebastian_," Riko said angrily, "Don't just wander off!"

"I was just having a look around. Where'd Lydia run off to?"

"You ought to know. She's _your_ sister."

The man Riko called Sebastian sighed and rubbed a white-gloved hand over his inky black hair. Michael noticed he, like Riko, was also wearing contacts. His pair tinted the irises red.

"Nevermind, I don't really care. Who's the pipsqueak?"

Michael promptly kicked him in the shin.

The Sebastian cosplayer jumped back on one leg while his hands instinctively moved to the wounded leg. "Ouch! You little sonova…"

"Sorry," Michael said, not sounding apologetic at all, "Reflex."

The angry cosplayer looked as if he wanted to kill Michael, but he was cut off by a relieved voice before he could make his move.

"Mike! There you are! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Michael was swept off the ground, caught up in one of Tyler's bear hugs. Tyler kept his arms around him in a suffocating grip, all the while telling him how worried he was that Michael had been kidnapped by some weirdo.

"Luckily this guy helped me find you," he said, spinning Michael around to see a sketchy figure dressed in a black cloak. He wondered briefly why Tyler didn't count this person as one of the potentially dangerous "weirdos."

Horribly embarrassed and out of breath by the time he was able to struggle free, Michael managed to point out Riko. "I found... Mr. Tetsuya's… Granddaughter," he said between gasps.

It turned out that introducing the two of them was the perfect method for distracting Riko from the shame of his very public reunion with Tyler. As soon as Michael mentioned Mr. Tetsuya, Tyler's attention shifted to the short girl in the Ciel Phantomhive cosplay.

"Woah, no way!" he exclaimed as he approached Riko. He took one of her hands in both of his own and shook it enthusiastically. "I was hoping I'd get to meet you! I'm a good friend of your grandpa. More an apostle really. Or maybe acolyte. I'm the Luke Skywalker to his Obi Wan, you could say. Though he looks more like a Yoda, if you know what I mean. Wow, it's such an honor to finally meet a member of his family. You're very lucky to have a grandpa like him."

Riko jerked her hand out of Tyler's grasp and stared at him with wide eyes. "Are you crazy or something?"

"No, I'm Tyler. Mr. Tetsuya hasn't mentioned me?"

Riko surveyed Tyler slowly. Recognition slowly began to color her expression. "He mentioned that a young person often came to visit him at the home. That's you, isn't it?"

"That's right! I met him about two years ago at a shuffleboard tournament."

"Right. And so you two are cosplaying together?"

"That's right! Mike and I are part of a host club."

"A host club?" Riko burst into laughter.

The Sebastian cosplayer's anger had cooled. He was looking at Riko curiously. Turning to address Tyler, he asked, "I'm not getting it. What's a host club?"

"A host club," Riko interjected, "Is a place where women and men can go to have drinks served by attractive members of the opposite sex. They basically pay for company."

They both looked at Tyler and Michael skeptically. Michael's blush deepened.

"It isn't like that," he said. "We're from an anime about a high school club that acts as hosts to the students. Like as an after-school thing. It's not weird."

"Oh it's plenty weird," Tyler said with a shake of his head and a small smile on his lips. "But it's a lot of fun, too. We're here with a whole group. It's me and Mike here, and we've got… let's see… five others? If you don't count Regina."

"I wouldn't count her. Ever." Michael said dryly.

"So your name's Mike?" Riko asked suddenly.

Michael blushed again, then blushed even more when he realized he wasn't sure what he was blushing about. Maybe he just felt stupid for not introducing himself sooner.

"Mike Hoffman."

"Well I guess you both already know who I am. And this is Chris." Riko motioned to the Sebastian cosplayer.

He had been staring off into space, already bored again, but he snapped back to the conversation upon hearing his name. "So who's the freak behind you?"

"Oh yeah!" Tyler said, spinning around. The cloaked figure he had introduced before was still hanging on the fringes of the group. It hadn't yet spoken.

Tyler didn't seem to find this the least bit odd, but Michael had a creepy feeling looking at the shrouded form. It was impossible to see the person's face under the hood. All that was visible were the stringy ends of jet black hair.

"Thanks for helping me find Mike, spooky man!"

The figure lifted his right arm. A bizarre cat-like puppet peeked out from the edge of his black cloak where his hand ought to have been. He proceeded to wave this puppet around as he spoke in a deep, eerie voice.

"_It was my pleasure to be of service to the Host Club. Is there anything else I can do for you? Cast a curse, perhaps? Or maybe you'd prefer if Bereznoff here consulted the dark powers regarding your futures?"_

Chris was watching the mysterious figure along with the others. His attitude was completely casual as he said, "Get lost before I destroy you."

The strange person shrank a little under Chris's stare. "_This one is strong in the powers of darkness. I can tell._" He said as he retreated back a few steps, "_I will go, but we will meet again, Morinozuka and Haninozuka…"_

The figure disappeared in the crowd that was just starting to flock into the vendor's room.

"Ha! He knew who we were!" Tyler said after watching him go.

"Of course he did, you moron," Michael replied, "He was cosplaying as Nekozawa. From the same manga as us?"

"Oh yeaaah… I thought he looked familiar."

Michael rolled his eyes and turned to Riko, "Hey, since the booths are officially open now, what do you say we ditch these two and go have a look around? I mean, if you have to stay with your chaperone or whatever it's fine but…"

"Let's go," Riko said immediately, "I don't have to be escorted by this guy all the time."

She jerked her thumb in the direction of Chris, then grabbed Michael by the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him away before more could be said.

Chris and Tyler watched them go in an awkward silence that continued long after the pair was out of sight. Tyler fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His hands were also restless, now patting the sides of his legs, next stretched over his head, finally resting behind his neck in what he hoped was a casual pose. Chris, in contrast, remained perfectly still. He seemed to have checked out of the action going on around him again. To Tyler, he looked the very picture of disinterest.

Naturally, it was Tyler who first broke the silence.

"So Chris, you seem like a pretty scary guy."

Chris raised his eyebrows at Tyler. He adjusted one of his gloves casually. "Thanks. I do try."

"What I mean is you've got that whole tall dark and dangerous thing going for you. It seems to be pretty popular with the fans here."

"Yeah, well my sister did say I'd just have to be myself."

"See, I think that's great." Tyler crossed his arms over his chest and smiled fondly at Chris. He was looking him up and down as if memorizing his every gesture and expression. "It must be so nice to have a character that really fits you. I wish I could be so lucky, but I'm stuck with a role that's just not me. Haven't quite got it down yet."

"Uh-huh." Chris said. He'd already lost interest. His gaze drifted around the convention room.

He was jolted back to attention by a solid smack on his shoulder. "That's what I'm talking about! You're a man of few words. Mysterious. That's what I'm supposed to be, man!"

"Well, why don't you try shutting up?"

"I've tried, but it's not that simple," said Tyler. He didn't seem insulted by Chris's response at all. "I can't just be a mute. That's not Mori's style. I need to be more aloof, but still approachable. More like you."

When Chris didn't respond, Tyler smiled at him and spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. "What do you say you give me a few pointers?"


	41. Sections 61&62: The Host Club

Section 61: The Host Club in Action!

"Okay everyone, welcome to the convention!"

Thomas swept his arm out to indicate the whole expanse of the convention center. The halls and lobbies were already bustling with people rushing to the forum of their interest or meandering toward the vendor's room. Some were simply sitting against the wall in small groups of fellow cosplayers, and everywhere you could see people posing dramatically for photographs.

"I still can't believe this many people come to these things," said Henry.

Keith glanced at the people nearest to them – a group of Final Fantasy cosplayers – and said, "Some of these costumes are pretty amazing. Do you think we really have a chance of winning the contest?"

The brothers looked to Thomas for his impression, but for once Thomas wasn't looking very confident. He was also eyeing the competition with some feelings of concern. Henry noted the frown on his face and shrugged, "Hey, even if we don't win the money it doesn't mean you didn't do the best you could. And besides, I'm sure we'll all…"

Without warning, a girl flew out of nowhere and slammed herself into Henry. He struggled to keep his balance as she wrapped her arms around his body, pinning his arms to his sides and squealing loudly in his ear. "OMIGODOMIGODIFREAKINGLOVEKAO RU!" she wailed just before releasing him and running off to be lost in the crowd.

Henry, dazed and confused, turned to Thomas with wide eyes. "What… the hell… just happened to me?"

Thomas smiled and offered Henry a comforting pat on the shoulder. "It seems you've just been the victim of your first glomping, my friend. I myself have been the target of such affections in the past."

"True," Kyle agreed, "You have been attacked by girls at conventions. Which is strange when you consider that we've never cosplayed before."

"They're just drawn to my masculine beauty."

Keith raised his hand tentatively. "Can I ask a question? What the hell is glomping?"

Thomas threw his arms in the air, crying out in exasperation, "My dear Keith! You couldn't have asked for a more perfect demonstration!"

"Cosplayers are under constant threat of surprise hugging by fans of the characters they are portraying," Kyle explained. "Though it is more polite to ask first before hugging, many fans lose their reason in their excitement. The result is usually a violent and dramatic embrace."

Keith nodded. "That's all good, I guess. But she got it wrong. I'm supposed to be Kaoru."

"Well, I never said the fans were smart, Keith."

Thomas gasped indigently at Kyle's insult, but Keith could only smile wryly at the joke. He glanced at his brother who met his gaze and grinned back. ""So have you ever been glomped?"" the pair asked in unison.

"Certainly not. Like I said, I've never even cosplayed before today, and I'm not like Thomas where random girls will be prompted to tackle me spontaneously."

"Well then, you could have your first time today, Kyle." Henry said.

"Yeah," Keith added, "It could happen to any of us."

"Any of _you_," Kyle corrected. "Kyoya fans, if any be present, will know that he is not the type of person to…"

Suddenly, Kyle was cut off by a whirl of pink petticoats that nearly consumed him. Yet another squealing girl had appeared to embrace her favorite host, and this time Kyle was the victim. His shock was obvious to everyone as the girl - dressed completely in pink lace and adorned with fetching rabbit ears - detached herself from his person and traipsed off to join her friends. They could hear her shouting "I did it! I did it! I hugged Kyoya!" from fifteen feet away.

Thomas and the others watched her disappear into the crowd, then they turned slowly toward Kyle. He had removed his glasses and was carefully cleaning off the lenses, his expression dark.

"Congratulations on your first glomping, Kyle!" Henry said cheerfully.

"Next year I'll come as something really scary…" Kyle muttered under his breath, "Then we'll see who'll try to glomp me…"

"Um, excuse me."

The boys turned to see a a young girl dressed in an Azumanga Daioh school uniform. She shifted slightly away when Kyle, still angry at the last fanatic, turned his shadow-king glare upon her, but she still managed to ask, "Do you think I could get a picture of all of you?"

Thomas offered the girl a Tamaki-worthy smile, "Certainly, Princess. We are prepared to follow your every command."

The girl giggled and raised her camera. Thomas waved his hosts closer and they all crowded together for the shot. After the blinding flash, the girl thanked them and when her way.

"That's what I'm talking about," Thomas said to his group. "You can expect a lot of photo requests over the weekend. I encourage you all to accept each with courtesy. Fan support can go a long way here, and it's always good to make new friends. And remember, stay in character!"

His advice couldn't have come soon enough. A pair of girls, emboldened from witnessing the first successfully get a picture, approached Keith and Henry.

"Excuse me? Hitachiins?" asked one of the pair. She smiled, still slightly nervous as the brothers turned to look at her. "Do you think I could get a picture of both of you together?"

Henry exchanged a look with his brother, and they wordlessly flanked the girl on either side.

"Wouldn't you rather have a picture of yourself with both of us?" Henry asked wrapping an arm around the girl's waist.

Keith wrapped his own arm directly above that of Henry. "Yeah, we really don't mind."

"Of course, I really can't imagine sharing Kaoru with anyone else for very long, so it'll have to be just one picture."

"Stop it, Hikaru! You'll embarrass her."

"Are you sure it's not you who's embarrassed, Karou?" Henry reached out with his free hand, crossing his arm in front of the captured photographer in order to stroke his brother's face. Keith pretended to be flustered, although both his and Henry's eyes were shining with mirth over their performance. He quickly grabbed the camera from their girl's hands and thrust it into those of her friend.

"Let's just take the picture," Keith said, but in the end they had to take another with the girl's friend before they were released. The temptation to be treated likewise by the handsome pair was just too much for her to resist.

"Did you see how big her eyes got when I reached across her like that? Classic. That was actually pretty fun."

Thomas smiled on the twins like a proud father, "Well, I'm glad to see you two embrace your characters. We're going to be the most popular cosplay group in no time! I just wish we knew where Tyler and the others went. If we're going to be taking this many picture I'd like to have the whole club together."

"Speaking of which, where's Freya?" Keith asked.

There was a moment of silence as each boy glanced around in some confusion.

"Um, wasn't she just here?" Thomas asked nervously.

"I'm not sure. She did come down with us didn't she?"

"How could we have lost her already? We haven't even gone anywhere yet!"

"Maybe she got hungry and went to get some food?"

"You guys! This is terrible! We have a responsibility to Freya's father to make sure she stays safe!"

Thomas was starting to work himself into a frenzy when a parasol came crashing down onto his head. As he crumpled to the floor to nurse his wound with both hands, the others followed the arc of the parasol to where it rested on Regina's shoulder.

"Calm down, idiot. She's with us."

It was true. Somehow Freya had met up with Regina and her friends. She was standing between Regina's two friends, one dressed like a sailor (if that sailor happened to be a girl violently attached to petticoats and corsets) and the other was dressed in a traditional kimono (albeit one that had been considerably shorted to accommodate mounts of white crinoline). It was clear that Regina's friends had similar tastes in fashion.

As for Regina herself, it was clear she was commanding the small group. Her high-waisted skirt was embroidered with clockwork gears and golden keys. She wore a cropped brown vest over a white ruffled shirt. She accessorized with clockwork earrings, a string tie, and a gold watch-chain dangling from her vest pocket. To complete the look, a brown bowler hat perched atop her head. This too had a gear nestled in around the ribbon.

"What are you supposed to be?" Kyle asked, "A cuckoo clock?"

Regina blushed and glared at him, "For your information, it's steampunk, and it's all the rage right now."

She ignored Kyle's eye-rolling and turned to her friends, "Ladies, this is my cousin, Tom, and his friend, Kyle."

The pair spared Thomas a brief smile, then turned to scrutinize Kyle carefully. Kyle could tell by their critical stares that Regina had told them something about them. He could only imagine what they thought. He suddenly wished he was wearing anything other than the Ouran school uniform.

"Well, you certainly were right, Regina," said the girl in the sailor-lolita cosplay, "He really does look just like Kyoya."

Kyle said nothing. He simply smiled at the girl in response. To Regina he raised his brows and offered her an expression that clearly said, "So we're back to this again?"

Regina simply tossed her curled ponytail and waived in Freya's direction. "Anyway, we've brought her back into the fold. You should be thanking me for taking care of her, Tom. What's the Host Club without Haruhi, anyway?"

Thomas was by now fully recovered from Regina's devastating parasol attack. He had quietly slipped next to Freya side and was trying to inch even closer when Regina thus addressed him. He flinched upon hearing his name, then offered Regina a conciliatory smile.

"Yes, of course. Thank you." He said to his cousin. Then abruptly, and rather impulsively, he took up Freya's hand in his own and focused the full force of his attention on her, "Can you forgive me for leaving you behind, like that? I promise I won't let you out of my sight again. I'll make sure you get to have as much fun at this convention as possible!"

"Um… er… You really don't have to… uh…"

Freya was thankfully saved from having to respond by a swarm of fans. They had spotted the passionate Tamaki holding hands with a bashful Haruhi and were quick to pounce with camara's flashing.

"Wow! You guys look so great! It's really convincing!" Shouted one of the fans.

"Yeah, if I didn't know better I'd say the real Host Club was actually here!" Added another.

Thomas laughed and pulled Freya into a close embrace, posing for a few more shots. "Well thank you!"

Freya struggled against him, "Why are you hugging me?!"

"Huh? Because I want to. Isn't it normal for a father to want to hug his precious daughter?"

Freya stared up into Thomas's face without a hint of embarrassment. "You aren't my dad. And I don't think Haruhi would like Tamaki hugging her like this in public."

Keith and Henry ruthlessly pulled Thomas away from Freya to the surprise of both Thomas and the gathering crowd of Host Club fans.

""She's right, milord!"" they said in unison as each brother took to either side of Freya. They each wrapped an arm around Freya's shoulders and smiled mischievously at Thomas. ""How could you act so shamelessly? How disgraceful!""

"They do have a point, Tamaki," Kyle said, calm stepping between the twins and Thomas. He adjusted his glasses carefully before adding, "If you keep posturing like this we'll never get to participate in any of the convention events."

The fangirls squealed to see this little skit take place. Thomas was secretly pleased with how well his group had come together, until one of the girls asked, "But wait… Where are Mori and Hunny-sempai?"

* * *

Section 62: Mentor

"You know you're a real mess, right?"

Instead of his usual smile, Tyler accepted this criticism with a frown. He was seated across from Chris at a table in the hotel restaurant, his back rigid and his hands in fists. Chris had removed his white gloves to reveal black painted nails. He was casually enjoying a plateful of fries while Tyler abstained from eating.

"I'm trying as hard as I can," Tyler said as he carefully tried to resume a neutral expression, "But it's not easy being stoic."

Chris shook his head, "That isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about you being so obsessed with this idea of being mister tall dark and mysterious. What's wrong with the way you are?"

"You haven't been listening, have you?" Tyler said, experiencing a fraction of the irritation others usually felt when it was Tyler himself who wasn't paying attention, "I need to learn your technique in order to be a good Mori!"

Chris tossed a fry a Tyler's head, "Is that any way to speak to your sensei? Now shut up and answer me. Is anyone really going to care if you don't act like what's-his-name? No! Most of the people here probably don't even know who you're supposed to be. And you know what? The one's that do would probably enjoy seeing a spastic Mori like you for a change."

"But if I don't stay in character then I might be letting the rest of my group down."

Chris meditated on this for a moment, staring Tyler down all the while. Finally he shrugged any concern he might have had for Tyler's situation was quickly dissipating. "Whatever. But let me ask you this, what is your primary objective?"

"Huh?"

"Your goal. Why are you even here?"

"To win ten thousand dollars."

This time Chris threw a fistful of fries at Tyler, "Wrong! My sister entered us in that stupid contest, too! Do you really think your group has a chance of winning? I mean, I sure as hell don't expect to win. There must be a hundred groups looking to win that prize."

Tyler fidgeting in his chair, "I guess you have a point."

Chris nodded, finally offering Tyler a fry instead of throwing them at him. "You should be more worried about having fun. That's what this whole thing is supposed to be about right? Checking out of the real world for a few days and having a good time."

"Is that why you're here?"

"Fat chance. I'm here to make money."

"Huh?"

"There you are!"

Tyler and Chris both turned to see the newcomer. Keith had come to stand next to Tyler's side. He glanced at Chris inquisitively, but directed his comments to Tyler alone. "We've been looking for you and Mike everywhere. Henry and I even split up to cover more room. I didn't think you'd be eating already."

"I'm not hungry, I just came with my new friend." Tyler waved his arm in Chris's direction, "Keith, this is Chris. Chris, Keith. He's in my group."

"I can see that," Chris said as he extended his hand to shake Keith's, "Don't tell me you're having an existential crisis as well?"

"Not hardly," Keith said, raising his brows and giving Chris a half-smile. Chris smirked back at him, holding his gaze until Keith, embarrassed and unnerved for some reason, turned quickly back to Tyler, "So where is Mike, anyway?"

"Aw crap. Last I saw him he was off with Mr. Tetsuya's granddaughter. I'd better go find him." Tyler pushed his chair away from the table, stood, and bowed ceremoniously to Chris. "Thanks for all your help, sensei. I'll be sure to think about what you said."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure." Chris said absently. "Just don't say I never did you any favors. You can pay me back by visiting my booth in the artist's alley later."

"Really? Okay! Then we'll all come by later! Right, Keith?"

"Uh, sure okay." Keith said, not really knowing what an "artist's alley" even was.

"Then we'll see you!" Tyler said, already pulling on Keith's arm to drag him away.

Chris waved dismissively, his attitude indicating that he really didn't care one way or the other. However, when Keith glanced back once more at the older boy, Chris caught him looking and spared another smirk for his benefit. "See you later," he said just before Tyler pulled him out of sight.


	42. Sections 63-65: Hosts

Section 63: Sugar and Spice

Somehow Michael didn't think his mother would approve if he bought a figurine of a popular scantily-clad female video game character. Not only would the purchase be an expensive one, but her breasts were abnormally large. Freakish in fact. So, no. He would not be buying such an item any time soon. However, it couldn't hurt to inspect the merchandise.

"I see what you're looking at, perv."

Riko was sneering at Michael, but he was unfazed by her comment. "I was just wondering how she's supposed to fight anything with those in the way."

Riko drew closer to Michael's side to get a better look at the little figurine. "Or maybe," Michael thought, "She just wants to be closer to me." He decided the second possibility wouldn't be so bad.

Whatever her motives, Riko seemed artless enough as she said, "And by 'those' I suppose you're referring to the emergency flotation device attached to her chest? Well, at least she'll never drown."

"Maybe they act as ballast?"

"Are you suggesting that those things are actually an asset in battle?"

"Why not? I bet she could do a lot of damage swinging those things around. How many ways do you suppose there are to kill a man with boobs?"

Riko erupted into laughter, drawing the attention of a few passerby. Michael didn't particularly want an audience to see them giggling by the provocative figurines, and so tugging at Riko's wrist he pulled her to another booth.

"Have you noticed a lot of people staring at us?" Michael asked ruefully. He never had been a fan of people gaping at him. Staring was usually followed by people telling him how small and cute he was. Not something he particularly wanted to hear, even if he was currently cosplay as someone who was both small and cute.

Riko glanced around and did notice a few onlookers, but she just shrugged. "We probably just make a funny looking pair. I mean, I look like a badass Victorian lord with an eyepatch, and you look like… Well…"

"Spare me your assessment." Michael said, rolling his eyes as he picked up one of the boxes of Pocky from the table in front of them. He displayed the contents to Riko with a grin. "At least there's one benefit of dressing in this dumb uniform. I can eat all the candy I want."

Riko didn't look impressed. "I don't really like sweets."

Michael raised his eyebrows. He waited until he'd handed his money over to the vendor before saying, "That's fine I guess. I mean, I pretty much hate cake now. But I thought you'd really like sweet things, you know?"

"Why, cause I'm a girl?"

"No, because you like Sailor Moon."

Riko stepped directly in front of Michael and motioned to her ensemble. "I think we've established that I grew out of that kid stuff. Unlike someone I could mention."

She was looking suggestively at the copious of Pokemon merchandise Michael had already purchased earlier that day. Michael patted the head of his Charizard plushie and lifted his chin defensively. "Pokemon is forever," he retorted.

"Yeah, well Sailor Moon isn't. I just don't care for magical girl stuff anymore."

"Right…"

Though he was unconvinced, Michael was prepared to let the subject drop. Riko, however, felt indignant at his skeptical tone.

"_What_?" she snapped at him.

"Well, it's just that I can't believe anyone could give up their first love that easily. With anime, that is. You don't even have… I dunno, a nostalgic connection to your old favorites?"

"Nope. Not me. I'm not the least bit sentimental."

"Hm. Well, let me buy you some Pocky."

"I just told you, I don't like sweets."

"So I'll buy _dark_ chocolate Pocky, then. Don't be so stubborn."

"I'm _not_. You just don't listen." Riko's voice was calm buy Michael noticed that her hands were balled into fists. "Don't think you know everything about me. We only just met."

"I'm sorry," Michael said, hardly knowing what he was apologizing for, "Riko, it really doesn't matter to me if you like girly or sweet things…"

Riko stamped her foot petulantly. "I don't!" she shouted, then abruptly turned quiet.

"Riko…" Michael started to say, but she cut him off with a curt shake of her head.

"I have to go find Lydia and Chris," she said, "I'll see you later."

"Riko, hang on a sec…"

"Mike, there you are!"

Michael flinched at the booming sound of Tyler's voice. Riko slipped away into the crowd before he could stop her, and soon it was Tyler who stood by his side.

"I found you again with the helpful Neko-san from before!" Tyler said jovially, oblivious to Michael's conflicted emotions.

"Oh, er. Hi, um…. Nekozawa."

"_A pleasure to see you again so soon, Mr. Haninozuka." _The cloaked figure said in his eerie voice. "_But might I suggest sticking close to your cousin from here on out? I don't mind using the dark powers to locate you, but what would happen if Morinozuka were unable to find me as well?"_

"Cousin?" Michael said, his mind immediately jumping to Thomas. But Nekozawa motioned toward Tyler. "Oh that's right. We're supposed to be cousins aren't we?"

"That's right! So climb aboard, cuz!" Tyler said as he scooped Michael up and placed him on his shoulders. "The others are waiting in the lobby!"

Michael was so taken aback by just how high he was above the heads of the other convention goers, he forgot to protest that he didn't want to ride on Tyler's shoulders. Nekozawa was peering up at him from under his hood, his eyes obscured by a thick fringe of black hair. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly, but he quickly covered his mouth with the edge of his sleeve.

"Hey," Michael kicked in Nekozawa's direction, his eyes narrowing, "Did you just laugh."

"_No_."

"Yes you did, I saw you. You think we're funny?"

"_I_ think we're funny," Tyler interjected, "And that's a good thing. Now let's go! See you later, Neko-san!"

Tyler spun around so quickly that Michael had to grip his hair in order to stay balanced on his shoulders. He maneuvered through the knots of people quickly, pausing here and there to pose for pictures with Michael still perched atop his shoulders. It wasn't until they were clear of the vendor's room that he thought to ask, "Hey, weren't you supposed to be killing some time with Mr. Tetsuya's granddaughter? Where's she at?"

"… I dunno."

"… You two didn't have a fight, did you?"

"I… I'm not sure." Michael said dismally. "Everything was fine till we started talking about sweets."

"Sweets?"

"Yeah, like candy. Chocolate. You know. She says she doesn't like it. And then she got mad at me."

"Hm… Well, girls are weird."

"… That's it? That's your genius advice?"

"Hey, I never claimed to be an expert, did I?" Tyler asked, wriggling around in order to jostle Michael slightly, "But consider this, remember how Hunny was embarrassed to like cute things and cake?"

"… Yeah? So?"

"So maybe Riko's just embarrassed. You hardly know her, and maybe she's not ready to have you know so much about her just yet."

"Maybe…"

"C'mon! There's still so much con to explore! Don't let it get you down! Cheer up, Hunny-comb!"

Michael laughed, "Okay sure. I'm fine now, really."

"Good! Cause I'm going to be best friends with Riko's chaperone, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to talk to her again."

"Whatever. Just let me say one more thing."

"What's that?"

"Call me Hunny-comb again and I'll break your freakishly long legs."

* * *

Section 64: Suiting Up

"Ah to be wearing my own clothes again!" Keith cried as he stretched his arms above his head.

"What's the matter?" Freya asked as she swapped her men's dress shoes for a pair of plain sneakers, "Don't like the uniform Tom made for you?"

"It's not that. I'm just not used to wearing a jacket and tie all day."

"I hear you," Tyler said, poking his head through the door separating the two hotel rooms, "Nothing like the freedom of movement a simple t-shirt allows."

"Um, so what is the dress code for this thing anyway? I mean, is this okay?"

They boys turned to survey Freya. Like the others she had recently changed out of the Ouran Academy uniform. Instead she wore a faded pair of blue jeans and a tank top with a panda face on it. The tank top was brand new, purchased for her by Tyler that morning at the convention. He smiled to see her wearing it so soon, and she in turn ignored him.

"I think you look fine. I mean, it's just a dance right?" said Keith. The fact of the matter was that no one in their group was particularly dressed for the occasion. If Freya had broken some implicit dress code then the whole group had done the same.

"I think they're calling it a rave."

"Isn't that a concert where everyone takes a lot of acid?"

"I am _not_ taking any drugs. My dad would kill me."

"Hey, Tom!" Henry called out suddenly.

Thomas joined Tyler in the doorway. The group was reassured to see that he was dressed similarly to the rest of them. "What is it? Are you guys ready to go?" he asked.

"Tom, what is this rave going to be like and how much acid am I expected to take?" Henry asked seriously.

"Acid?! What are you talking about? It's just a dance hosted by the convention!"

They boys looked relieved and, oddly enough, a little disappointed, "Oh. Is that all?"

"Trust me, the most you can expect out of this is strobe lights and a lot of glow sticks. And I suppose some people still come dressed up, but it's not really a big deal."

"Great!" said Tyler, "So what's the plan, boss?"

Thomas just blinked at him, "What plan?"

"You know, our orders for tonight?"

"Yeah," Henry added, "What's the game plan for the Host Club?"

Thomas offered his audience a confused half smile, "Um, have fun?"

They stared at him in silence, not sure if he was kidding, until Keith said, "Wait, seriously?"

"Well, yeah. I don't expect you guys to go the rave in character! That would _really_ be obsessed."

Tyler grasped Thomas's shoulder, his expression intense. "So let me get this straight. I don't have to be moody and silent for the rest of the night?"

""And we don't have to pull the brotherly love shtick?""

"And I don't have to do… Whatever it is I'm doing here?" Freya added.

Thomas laughed, "Guys, just be yourselves. Forget the cosplay contest for a moment and just have some fun!" He suddenly paused. He had finally acknowledged Freya, and he was looking at her with pity.

"Oh, Freya!" he said mournfully, "Why aren't you wearing a dress? This might be the only chance you have to be girly!"

"Huh? But these are my usual clothes…"

"Well, have you brought anything else?"

"Not really."

Thomas shook his head, "I guess it can't be helped. If I had known this would happen I would have prepared another outfit for you… Oh! Maybe you could borrow something from Regina."

"I think she's cute!" Tyler said loudly, "She doesn't need to wear a skirt to look cute."

Kyle suddenly poked his head into the room. "Yes, yes, yes. Freya is very, very cute." He said sardonically, "Now are you all done blathering like idiots? The rave's about to start!"

To emphasize the urgency of the matter he thrust a fistful of glow-sticks into Thomas's hands. "Take those and pass them around! I'm going ahead to see if I can find Regina's group."

"Why?" Michael asked, pulling his face out of his DS long enough to take a couple glow-sticks from Thomas, "Do you have a thing for my sister or something? Gross."

"Michael, I'm not afraid to hit a child."

"I'm not a child!"

* * *

Section 65: Courtship

Regina's group happened to be easy to find. They'd switched outfits for the rave, but the girls were still dressed head to toe in lolita fashion. Kyle couldn't help but snicker as Regina glared up at him. She was looking particularly ridiculous, in Kyle's opinion. Her red plaid skirt, black corset, striped stockings, and silver safety pin accessories made her look like she just stepped out of a Hot Topic (only with more crinoline).

"So what's this look supposed to be?" Kyle asked. He lifted one of Regina's curled ponytails as he spoke, letting her hair slip slowly off his fingers as his gaze travelled over her whole ensemble. "Let me guess… You've dropped the steam and just went punk?"

Regina stepped away, her face bright red. She glanced quickly at her friends, who were pretending not to notice Kyle.

"Don't make fun of me." Regina whispered, her attention still fixed on her friends.

"I will if you stop making it so easy."

"What do you want anyway? Where's Tom and the others."

Kyle smiled. He was wondering what else he could do to make her face turn such a funny shade. "They'll be along soon. Aren't you going inside?"

"Huh?"

"The rave? It looks like they're letting everyone inside now. Do you want to dance?"

Regina eyed him nervously. "Of… Of course. That's what I'm here for. But my friends are waiting so…"

She turned to leave, but Kyle wasn't going to let her escape so easily. He gripped her by the arm and turned her back to face him. "I meant do you want to dance with _me_?"

The color that had just started to fade flooded back into Regina's face again. Kyle smiled in triumph.

"My… My friends…" Regina muttered faintly. And she was right. They weren't pretending not to notice anymore. They were openly gawking at Regina and Kyle like a couple of voyeurs, and they weren't the only ones. You couldn't have a confrontation like the one going on between Kyle and Regina in a convention full of shojo-loving fanatics and not expect to have an audience.

But Kyle simply smiled at Regina's companions and pulled their friend into an embrace. "Don't worry," he said casually, as if he and Regina did this sort of thing daily, "I just need to have a word with Regina. You guys go on ahead."

They clearly didn't want to miss out on what was happening, but with such a direct order from Kyle, the girls felt like they couldn't refuse.

"What's with you?" Regina muttered as she watched her friends abandon her. "Let me go. You're acting weird?"

"Me?" Kyle asked. He looked down at Regina but her head was bowed, he couldn't see her face. "What about you? You've been avoiding me since before Valentine's Day. What happened to the bossy, authoritative girl I first met?"

Regina still refused to look at him, so Kyle gently lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. Her expression told him everything he needed to know about how she felt, but he couldn't figure out why she was still resisting.

"Regina, the girl I met a few months ago wouldn't have made me ask for a dance. She would have already grabbed my arm and dragged me out herself. What's so different now?"

He waited, not knowing what else to say. Regina looked like she wanted to cry, and her face was twisted in an expression anyone but Kyle would have found unbecoming. As it was, Kyle thought she looked cute. He was just wondering if he should kiss her when Regina brought the full force of a custom platform combat boot onto his foot.

Kyle yelped and released Regina. She took the opportunity to flee into the dark rave room without a word. Kyle remained in the hall, unable to go after her due to the pain in his foot. The small audience that had gathered started to disperse slowly, casting commiserating glances toward Kyle. He scared the rest of them away a glare.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there in the hall, staring at the door through which Regina had disappeared. No doubt she had already forgotten all about him and was happily dancing with her friends, who Kyle had started to think of as Frill 1 and Frill 2. He felt like he had only been standing there a few seconds, but in reality it had been several minutes before he felt Thomas clap him on the shoulder.

"Kyle! What are you doing? We thought you would have been in there already!"

"… Don't much feel like dancing anymore. Here, you can have my glow sticks."

"Wait! Kyle, what's wrong?"

"Don't worry about it," Kyle said. He grabbed Thomas's wrist and forced the glow sticks into his hand. "You don't need all your hosts for this, right? I just want to relax alone for a bit. I'll see you in the room later."

"But…" Thomas started to protest, but just then Henry and the others called out to him.

"Hey! _Milord_! Get your royal butt over here!"

"Yeah, you can't expect us to go in there without our leader!"

"Just a second!" Thomas shouted, but Kyle had grabbed him by both shoulders.

"Go…" he said seriously, though the corners of his mouth were turning up, "Your people need you."

"Okay," said Thomas, "But talk to me later."

"Sure, I'll let you know how it all turns out."

Thomas finally let his friend go with a shake of his head. Leaving Kyle to his own devices, he joined the rest of the group.

"Come on, Tom!" Tyler said eagerly, "What's with your face? Lighten up! There's someone I want you to meet!"


	43. Sections 66&67: Tamaki, Kaoru, Haruhi

Section 66: Dance Dance

"_At last… We finally get to meet face to face, Mr. Suoh."_

Every hair on the back of Thomas's neck stood up as the low voice of Nekozawa thus spoke to him. Trembling slightly out of sudden, unexplainable fear, he accepted the handshake that was being offered to him. He tried not to think of how thin and pale that hand was, and focused instead on anything other than the person in front of him.

"I-It's nice to meet you. T-That's a very nice Nekozawa costume you have there. Very… authentic."

"_What costume?"_

Thomas shivered. Nekozawa still had a grip on his hand. Thomas wondered if he could feel him trembling. _Get ahold of yourself! _Thomas commanded himself silently, _He's just a cosplayer for Christ's sake. Nekozawa isn't even scary…_

_"It was not my intention to frighten you, Mr. Suoh." _Nekozawa said, his creepy voice now barely audible over the booming music of the rave. Thomas still jumped when he heard it. Had Nekozawa just read his thoughts?

"Haha! This guy!" Tyler said suddenly. He thumped Nekozawa so hard on the back that the poor boy nearly fell over. He finally released Thomas's hand in his struggle to regain balance, earning Tyler Thomas's gratitude. "I told you he was funny, didn't I? And he's helped me out more than once when I've lost track of Mike."

"W-Well… Thank you for looking out for us." Thomas said faintly. He tried to regain some of his confidence by offering Nekozawa a host-level smile. If it had some effect on Nekozawa, he couldn't tell. Nekozawa's face was completely covered by his hood and black bangs.

_"It was no problem. Anything for the host club."_ Nekozawa said after a brief pause.

Thomas still couldn't get used to Nekozawa's way of speaking. It was much creepier in person than when watching the host club anime. He smiled again, nervously, and then noticed that Tyler was starting to move away.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"Freya found Regina's group. Looks like fun, so I'm going to go join them."

"B-But… You can't leave me!"

Tyler looked at him with a quizzical expression, then ruffled Thomas's hair playfully. "Relax. I'll save a dance for you, if you're really that worried about it."

"What?"

But it was no use. Tyler had already dived into the thick of the dance floor, his path directed toward Freya. Thomas watched him go with rising anxiety. Perhaps it was just the lighting in the rave. The darkness, penetrated by vibrant lights and clouded with artificial smoke, was just the sort of atmosphere to make a guy like Nekozawa seem even more otherworldly. Who goes to a rave in a cloak? Honestly!

"_Do you dance, Mr. Suoh?"_

Thomas flinched and looked again at the cosplayer. For a moment he wondered if Nekozawa were actually asking if he wanted to dance with _him_. "S-Sometimes…" he replied, not knowing how else to respond.

"_… Then I leave you to it."_

Nekozawa moved away suddenly, melting into the darkness on the fringes of the dance floor. Thomas gazed after him in confusion. Had he really left just like that? Thomas felt slightly relived, until he thought of Nekozawa loitering in the shadows, watching him…

""MILORD!""

Thomas jumped about a foot in the air and screamed. He spun around to find the twins doubled over in laughter. A number of ravers cast curious looks in Thomas's direction.

"Holy crap! What's with that reaction?" Henry mocked. Keith was laughing so hard he was almost crying.

"Don't scare me like that, you two!" Thomas was grateful that the darkness would prevent them from seeing just how red his face was.

"We weren't really trying to scare you…" Keith said with mock innocence.

"Well… Okay maybe a little," admitted Henry, "But it's your fault for standing there with such a spacey expression on your face. We wanted to shock you out of it, is all."

"Well you certainly succeeded!"  
""So, where'd everyone else go?""

"Oh… They're over there with Tyler. See? You can see his head just above the crowd. Seems he found Regina and her friends too."

Henry perked up. "Did he find Hilary's group as well?"

"Oh… I don't know actually. Maybe."

Henry grabbed Thomas's wrist and started pulling him into the throng. "So let's go!"

Henry was tugging at Keith as well, but he waved them off. "You guys go on ahead. I'm just going to pop outside for a bit."

"What? But we just got here!"

"I know. But it's really hot in here… And I think the fog is starting to make me feel funny."

Keith coughed twice to emphasize his point, then smiled to reassure his brother. "I'll be fine once I get some fresh air."

Henry frowned at him in concern but acquiesced. "Well… If you're sure… Come on, Milord!"

The truth was Keith had actually spotted another tall figure towering above the ravers. He watched this figure weave through the crowd and back out into the hall, and it was this figure that Keith followed outside.

He had had a head start. Keith could see him just a few yards ahead, long strides carrying him farther and farther away from the rave. Keith struggled to keep up, dodging clusters of conventioners who still congregated in the halls. The person he was following had left the convention center entirely and was now strolling through the connected hotel. Keith whipped around a corner just in time to see him leave through the front doors.

_Is he leaving?_ Keith thought to himself, breaking suddenly into a run.

Keith hadn't expected how chill the night air could be when he dashed out the lobby doors. He shivered in the sudden cold and wrapped his arms around his bare shoulders. It was March, but it was still cold enough to see your breath outside.

He glanced around, but there was no one walking the streets at his hour. Keith frowned. He could have sworn he'd seen him go out those doors…

Something black and heavy fell over Keith's head. He yelped in surprise, much like Thomas a few minutes before, and tugged it off to find that it was a long, black coat.

"Put it on if you're cold."

Keith stared up at Chris in embarrassment. He must have been leaning on the side of the building just behind Keith. He had changed out of his Sebastian threads and was looking very cool in a red t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. He was looking at Keith with interest, or perhaps like a butcher surveying a cut of meat.

"Were you following me?"

Keith didn't know what to say. Of course he had been following Chris. That was the truth, but he couldn't tell him that! He wasn't even sure why he had done it in the first place.

"I… I saw you leave the rave. We met earlier, kinda. I'm Tyler's friend…"

"I remember," said Chris. He lifted a cigarette to his lips and inhaled deeply. "I needed a smoke break."

"O-Oh… I see…" Keith suddenly realized he had absolutely nothing to say.

"Do you smoke?"

"Um. No, I'm not old enough." The words were out before Keith realized how childish that sounded. "Er. I mean, no. I don't smoke."

"Hm. How old are you?"

"… Seventeen."

Chris hummed again and said nothing. Instead he took another drag off his cigarette and blew the smoke into the air. Keith smiled and lifted an invisible cigarette to his own lips, exhaling so that warmth of his breath would cloud the cold air again.

"See? You're not so special. I can do it too."

He was only trying to kid around, but his smile faded when he saw Chris eyeing him with a steely expression.

"Are you going to put that thing on, or not?" Chris indicated the coat with a careless wave.

Keith hadn't realized he was still clutching the coat in one hand. He hurriedly tried to hand it back to Chris. "Actually I had probably better go back inside. Thank you."

"Hold it." Chris pushed the coat away from himself. "You obviously came out here to talk to me. So talk. But put the coat on first."

Keith hesitated only a second, but it was enough to put the older boy into action. Soon Keith found himself being helped into the coat by Chris, who pulled the sleeves over his arms and zipped the fastened the buttons all the way up under his chin.

"There. All better." Chris said contentedly as he resumed his position against the wall. "Now talk."

"Er… I don't know what to say."

"Do you like anime?"

"Huh? Uh, no actually. I'm here because a school friend of mine wanted to put this group together."

"The Host Club."

"Yeah, that's right. And well, it's the first time I've ever done anything like this. I don't really know anything about the genre."

Chris waited. He had tossed his cigarette to the ground and stomped it underfoot. Now he just stared at Keith, arms crossed over his chest. It was clear he expected Keith to keep talking, but Keith floundered.

"So… what about you? Do you like this kind of stuff?"

"No."

"… Oh."

"… But my little sister does. A guy comes home for break and what does he get? A command from a pair of tyrannical parents to chaperone his sister. Just my luck."

"Oh. I'm sorry. But… Does that mean you're a college student?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Never thought I'd be spending my time here during Spring Break. Most kids at my school head to Florida or Puerto Rico."

"You never said how old you were."

"Twenty-one. I'm a senior."

"O-Oh."

Chis abruptly detached himself from the wall and stood directly in front of Keith. "Am I making you nervous?"

Well, if he hadn't been before, he certainly was now. Keith hoped Chris couldn't tell how red his face was outside, but he was afraid the streetlights were giving him away.

"You can relax. I'm not going to do anything to you."

Keith opened his mouth to say that he wasn't worried about something like that, but he was cut off by the voice of his brother. "Keith! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Chris and Keith both turned to see Henry poking his head out the glass doors of the lobby. Henry took one look at the two of them and marched right up to his brother. He grabbed Keith's arm and pulled him away from Chris, positioning himself between them.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Henry! We were just talking."

"Uh-huh. Well, let's get back inside. It's freezing out here."

He started to drag Keith back inside with him, but Keith managed to break away. To his brother's surprise, he jogged right back to Chris. Chris also managed to look mildly surprised by the goings-on, which Keith figured was a pretty nice change from his usual detached demeanor.

"Your coat. I almost left without returning it." Keith said, now much more confident than before. He must have been bolstered by Henry's presence, but he didn't care. He just didn't want to end their conversation on such an awkward note, so he wasn't going to let Henry pull him away.

Chris grinned at him, "Hold on to it for me. You can return it tomorrow when you come visit my booth."

Keith had started to remove the garment, but he stopped when Chris spoke to him. He tugged the coat back over his shoulders and met Chris's stare calmly. "Okay. So I'll see you tomorrow then."

Chris's gaze flicked in the direction of Henry, who was silently waiting for Keith by the hotel doors. "What do you suppose he thought I was trying to do to you?" he asked, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

Keith followed his look. Henry was glaring with open disapproval at Chris. "You know, I don't really care."

Chris chuckled and lifted his hand. For a moment it seemed as if he were going to reach for Keith, but then he seemed to think better of it. Instead he reached into the pocket of the coat Keith wore and pulled out his pack of cigarettes.

"Tomorrow," he said again as he lit up.

As soon as they were inside, Henry started the interrogation. "What was that all about?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Overreact much?"

"Who the hell was that guy?"

"A friend of Tyler's. Are you going to react that way every time you see me talking to a guy?"

"I haven't decided yet. So is he…?"

"Is he _what_, Henry?"

"Never mind. I don't want to know."

Keith smiled. He could tell Henry was just looking out for him. Still, he wished his brother wouldn't be so annoying about it sometimes. "Why were you looking for me anyway?"

"Oh yeah! I can't find Hilary anywhere! She did say she was coming right?"

"Yeah. With another group of her friends."

"Hm. Well I need a second pair of eyes to look… Did that guy give you his coat?"

"Give it a rest, Henry."

* * *

Section 67: Sleeping Problems

Freya couldn't fall asleep that night. The truth was she felt incredibly nervous. The costume contest would occur the following evening. She wasn't particularly worried about winning the prize money; she was more concerned about falling on her face in front of the entire convention.

Henry and Keith were sharing the other bed. She could hear them both breathing deeply. They didn't have any trouble dropping off to sleep after the rave. She envied them. She knew that Henry had spent most of the night looking for Hilary, though he never did find her. Thinking about the other girl made Freya suddenly wonder if Hilary should have been Haruhi after all. A girl like that would have no problem being up on stage in front of everybody, floating down the runway like a duck on water. Freya was different. She could barely muster the will to raise her hand in class. She really, really didn't like drawing attention to herself.

As she lay there musing, she heard the door connecting the two rooms click open. Someone slipped inside their room from the other side. Freya lay very still, wondering who it could be and what they wanted at this hour. Then she felt someone slide under the covers on the other side of her bed.

"… Tyler?" she whispered.

"Yeah you wish."

It was Kyle, and he didn't sound particularly happy.

"Kyle? What are you doing in my bed?"

"Relax," Kyle said in a harsh whisper, "I'm just trying to get some sleep!"

"What's wrong with _your_ bed?"

"I'm sharing with Tyler, remember? The guy's impossible! He keeps kicking me and stealing all the blankets! I cannot sleep under those conditions."

Freya sighed and rolled over in bed. Kyle's back was turned toward her. She could barely make out his form in the dark.

"Hey… Are you asleep?" she asked after a few minutes. Kyle groaned.

"Say… Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Freya continued bravely.

"No."

"But… Tom is so excited. What if we don't do well? What if…"

"What if you make a mistake?"

Freya nestled lower under the blankets and muttered, "Yes…"

Kyle sighed and rolled over. Freya couldn't make out his features in the dark, but she could almost feel him glaring at her.

"Freya… You're going to do fine." Kyle said, much to Freya's surprise. His tone was a lot gentler than she was used to hearing from him.

"I… I'm just worried that I'll let everyone down. I don't actually know what I'm doing."

"Hey, you and me both."

"Huh?"

Kyle's hand found one of Freya's and he clutched it comfortingly. "Just be yourself, that's the best you can do. Believe me; no one's going to be disappointed, no matter what happens. And don't worry about the stupid contest. Tom and I will look out for you."

"… Thank you."

"No problem. Now shut up and go to sleep."


	44. Sections 68-70: The Host Club

Section 68: Unbreakable

"Kyle did _what_?!"

Thomas stared at the twins, mouth agape, unable to believe what he was hearing. Keith and Henry nodded solemnly to confirm the information they'd just conveyed. They had the air of a couple of tattle-tales reporting the actions of a misbehaving sibling to a strict parent.

"It's true," Henry said coolly. "Kyle spent the night in Freya's bed."

"We saw them when we got up this morning," Keith added. "_And they were holding hands_."

This last bit of news was almost too much for Tom. He looked like he was either going to faint or burst into tears. While Henry and Keith continued piling on the details, Mike sat on one of the hotel beds next to Tyler. He glanced at his friend, surprised to see him gazing stoically out the window, his expression neutral. Mike thought he'd never seen Tyler resemble Mori so much.

"This is completely unacceptable!" Thomas bellowed just as Kyle stepped out of the bathroom, adjusting the tie on his uniform.

Kyle was completely unaware of what he'd walked into when he asked, "What's so unacceptable?"

Thomas spun on him like a hurricane. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF YOU SHARING A BED WITH FREYA!? THAT IS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE! I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING SO… SO…"

"Lecherous?" Mike suggested.

Thomas was about to agree when Kyle cut in. "You are completely overreacting. I only slept in her bed because Tyler was being annoying. Nothing happened."

"That's not true!" Henry said in a sing-song voice.

Keith joined in, "We saw you two holding hands!"

""When did you two start dating?""

Thomas staggered backward, clutching his chest as if someone had shot him. "D-Dating?! Kyle and Freya… I-It can't be…"

Kyle shot the twins a vicious glare. "We are _not_ dating."

Freya, freshly dressed in her Ouran uniform, suddenly poked her head through the connecting door. She looked at the boys curiously. No doubt she had heard some of their ruckus on her side.

"Are you all changed?" she asked. "Regina's here with her group and we're ready to go down to the con now."

"Freya!" Thomas wailed. He was now thoroughly distraught. "Kyle didn't take advantage of you did he?!"

This was simply too much for Tyler. He shot to his feet and marched right over to Freya. Toward Kyle he didn't even give a passing glance.

"What happened last night?" he asked quietly.

Freya stared up at him without a hint of embarrassment. "What do you mean?"

"I know that Kyle slept in your bed last night. Why?"

"Oh that. He was having trouble sleeping because… Well, he said you were a blanket hog."

Tyler's expression remained unreadable. "Why were you holding hands?"

"… Because I was nervous about the competition tomorrow and Kyle was trying to comfort me. I guess we just fell asleep that way."

"That's all?"

"Yes. That's all."

Tyler's expression broke into a grin, though there was still something flinty about his eyes. He turned to Kyle and said, "Good news! I don't have to kill you!"

Regina suddenly swirled into the room before Kyle could come back with a biting comment. She was wearing yet another Lolita-style outfit, this one accented with a sparking tiara on her elaborately coiffured head. She looked like a spoiled princess as she glanced impatiently around the room.

"What is taking so long? Freya insisted we wait for all of you, but I have a tea party to attend! If you don't hurry then I'll just spirit Freya away from you horrible boys!"

"We're in the middle of a crisis!" Thomas shouted. "Kyle made a serious breach of gentleman's protocol last night, and I will not be satisfied until he's made a proper apology!"

"I'm not apologizing for anything!" Kyle shouted. He was tired of this topic and finally starting to lose his cool. "Nothing happened! So just shut up!"

"Well, what about _tonight_? Do I have your word that this will never happen again?"

Kyle cross his arms and stared down Thomas. "I am not sleeping with Tyler."

Thomas gasped, "You! You cannot seriously be implying that… again…"

"What on Earth are you guys talking about?" Regina demanded.

"Kyle slept in Freya's bed last night," Henry blurted before his brother could shut him up.

Kyle glanced quickly toward Regina. For the first time that morning his mask of defiance was broken by a look of sheer panic. For a moment Regina looked completely shocked, as if she too were on the verge of exploding the way Thomas had.

"It… It has nothing to do with Freya…" Kyle stammered. "I just… I couldn't share a bed with Tyler if I expected any sleep. Nothing happened…"

To his great surprise, Regina suddenly let out a sigh and straightened her skirts. "Is that all?" she said, her tone brisk and not quavering in the slightest. "You boys are so stupid. Freya shouldn't be sharing with you all in the first place. She ought to be with me and my girlfriends. Freya, you shall move your things into our room, and you can share a bed with me."

Regina then looked toward her cousin. "Satisfied?"

"O-Oh… Yes, that will do. Thank you, Regina."

"Wonderful! Then we can finally get moving! Freya, I'm taking you for a little girl time!"

Regina latched on to Freya's arm. "Hey! Wait a minute!" Freya started to protest. She looked to Tyler, but his face was still fixed in a stony smile. He waved her goodbye without a word.

Mike started to tug at his sleeve. "Hey, Keith and I are going to find Riko's booth. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," was all Tyler said in response. Mike narrowed his eyes in suspicion but made no comment.

"Who's Riko?" Henry asked, but then he noticed the coat thrown over Keith's arm. "Oooh no! You aren't going to see _that_ guy again are you?"

Keith turned his back on his brother to conceal his blush and walked into the hallway. He called over his shoulder, "His name is Chris! And he's here chaperoning Riko and her friend, so I figured I'd go along with Mike to return his coat."

Henry grabbed the back of Keith's blue blazer as Mike and Tyler followed them out the door. "You're crazy if you think I'm letting you go without me!"

Left alone, Thomas and Kyle looked at one another and shrugged.

"I guess it's just you and me." Thomas said, now perfectly willing to forgive and forget his friend's transgression from the night before. "To the booth?"

"… To the booth."

* * *

Section 69: What Happened There

Neither Henry, Keith, nor Tyler had been to the artist's side of the vendor's room the day before, though Michael had already seen many of the booths when he'd been with Riko. Known affectionately as "Artist's Alley" by the Kana-Kon patrons, the displays were actually arranged in a network of rows and columns, creating more of a festive community than a single alleyway. Michael wanted to head directly to Riko's booth, but the older boys were distracted by the wares of the convention artists. He was therefore dragged randomly from one booth to the next in accordance with the whims of the others.

"Look!" Henry was shouting from one table. He held a small object in one hand and waved it above his head while the two young women who ran the booth beamed at him. "Guys, come here! I found our faces!"

"Our what now?" Keith asked. He joined his brother at the booth and stared down at the object in his hand. A tiny picture of Kaoru's smiling face stared back at him.

"It's a button!" Henry said proudly, as if he were the one who had made it. "And they have one for each of us."

Michael and Tyler strolled over to the pair and began inspecting the other buttons. Michael immediately noticed one fashioned to look like a pokeball, while Tyler merely picked up a button with Haruhi's face and stared at it listlessly.

"I'm going to buy them," Henry continued. He snatched up a button with Hikaru's face, which was apparently just the same image of Kaoru only in reverse. After handing some change to the vendors to cover the cost, he extended one of the buttons to Keith.

"Wear this on your coat."

Keith glanced at the button, "But that's the wrong one. See how the hair is parted? It's definitely Hikaru. I need the Kaoru button."

"Uh, I know that, smart one. Why would I want a button with my own face? Hikaru will wear the Kaoru button and Karou will wear the Hikaru button. That way, even if we do get separated during the convention, we'll still kind of have each other."

"Awww!" The young women of the button booth sighed in unison. Henry smiled at them both.

"You guys are just so cute! Can we get our pictures taken with you?" one of the women asked. Ignoring the blow to their egos from being called "cute," Henry and Keith acquiesced.

While they were posing for the camera, Michael inspected the button with Hunny's face and glanced up at Tyler. "Do you want to get buttons of our faces, too?"

Tyler stared off into space. "… Sure."

Michael frowned at him, then shook his head slowly. Clasping his hands behind his back he worked his way into character. He smiled sweetly at Tyler and said in his most childish voice, "Takashi? Don't you want to exchange buttons like Kao-chan and Hika-chan?"

The booth-operators, just finished with their twin photos, gushed at this new display of overt cuteness. Michael was looking to get some reaction from Tyler as well, but his only response was, "… Yeah."

Anyone else would see this as clever acting on Tyler's part, but Michael was unconvinced. Breaking the mask of Hunny's sweetness instantly, Michael surprised the two button vendors with his sudden outburst.

"I knew it!" he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger and Tyler, "You're still hung up about Freya! You acted like you didn't care about Kyle, but you do! Why did you lie?"

Tyler flinched upon hearing Freya's name. "What? I never lied! I trust Freya!"

"But it still bothers you, doesn't it? Pretending like you don't care is the same as lying."

Tyler's face reddened. "Of course I care… But I don't want Freya to think that I'm…"

"Jealous? You can't help it. Why don't you just find Freya and tell her how you feel. I'm sure she and my sister are around here somewhere…"

Tyler's mood seemed to lift a little, though he still seemed nervous. "I want to see her, but I don't want to talk about… I just don't want to talk about stuff like feelings or whatever."

"Okay, so just ask to spend the day with her," Michael said decisively. "I'm sure she's thinking of you right now, too."

Tyler grinned at him, "Maybe… I know! I'll find Nekozawa and enlist his help! He seems to be really good at finding people."

Tyler was gone before Michael could point out how stupid it was too look for one person in order to find another person. What would he do if he couldn't find Nekozawa? But it was too late to worry about that now, so Michael simply sighed and turned back to the twins.

The brothers were watching Michael with wide-eyed expressions. For a moment Michael wondered if there was something on his face, but then he realized they were just in shock over the conversation they'd just overheard.

"Uh… So Tyler's got a thing for Freya, huh?" Henry tried to ask casually.

Michael just rolled his eyes, "You don't even know the half of it. Now can we please go to Riko's booth now?"

Keith was just about to agree with him when his gaze wandered further down the row of booths. A familiar blonde head caught his eye.

"Oh my god…"

"What is it?" Henry asked.

Keith grabbed his arm and began pulling him toward the end of the row. "My god!" he said again, this time in shock as he realized what exactly the booth was selling. Henry finally followed the direction of his gaze and gasped as well. Michael cursed.

"Hi guys!" Thomas said with a smile. He waved from his seat behind the booth. But the boys did not look at Thomas. They were looking at the photographs surrounding him.

From the wire display framing the booth down to the spread laid on the table itself, Thomas was surrounded with full color prints of the Host Club cosplayers. Keith, Henry, and Michael were each dumbfounded to see pictures of themselves, sometimes wearing the Ouran uniform and other times simply gathered together for one of their meetings.

"What the hell is this?!" Michael finally snapped.

Thomas's smile faltered. "You don't like it? I admit I was surprised, too. But sales have been really good, actually, and I think this could be a good way to increase our popularity among the fans."

"You're selling pictures of us to fans?!" Henry shouted.

Thomas slumped lower in his seat, looking very much like he wanted to hide under the table. "Don't be angry. I didn't know about this until yesterday."

Keith spotted a photo depicting himself in the process of throwing a snowball at Thomas. He recognized the scene. "Wait... These are Kyle's, aren't they?"

Henry groaned. "Why am I not surprised?"

Michael was feeling more impressed now than angry. "When did he take all of these?"

Thomas shrugged. "I have no idea. But I know he spent the better part of yesterday running this booth. When I found him he was selling the last of the Ouran High School Host Club Photo Books."

"There was a photo book?"

"Oh yeah, I wish you guys could have seen it! Kyle really outdid himself. There were plenty of candid shots, of course, and then glamour shots of each of us."

"But I never posed for any glamour shots!" Henry protested. "This has got to be illegal!"

Michael elbowed Henry in the gut to stop his shouting and glared at Thomas. "How much?"

"…How much what?"

"How much is our cut? You're selling pictures of me, so I'd better be seeing some of the cash. If I don't get a fair share, I will use you and Kyle as my personal sparring dummies."

Thomas swallowed nervously. "I-I think Kyle's kept track of the sales. I'm sure he can compensate you for every Hunny picture sold."

Michael continued to stare at Thomas for a few more seconds before bursting into a happy grin. "Awesome! Tell Kyle I think this is a great idea."

"Um, I will… Speaking of, I'm just watching the table for him. He said he'd just grab some breakfast and snack stuff for us, but he still isn't back."

"Well obviously," Keith said. "What's your point?"

"I'm worried about him," Thomas said. He started craning his neck to look around the rest of the convention room. "He may have gotten… Sidetracked."

"Well, Kyle's a big boy, Tom. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

Thomas smiled faintly and said, "Even so, I want to go look for him. Do you think one of you can keep an eye on the booth?"

Michael immediately crossed his arms in front of his face to form an X shape. "Nope. Sorry. I'm going to find Riko."

"Erm… I have to return a coat." Keith said, lifting the garment that was still draped over his arm.

Thomas shot Henry a pleading look, causing Henry to shift uncomfortably under its weight. "Um… I have to… go…"

Keith smiled. "Don't be ridiculous, Henry! You can spare a few minutes to help Tom! I'll just head over to the booth with Michael for a few minutes and you can catch up with us as soon as Kyle's back!"

Henry glared right through Keith's transparent cheerfulness. His attention drifted down to the coat over his brother's arm and he growled, "You aren't going anywhere without me."

But Keith had suddenly reached out and pushed Henry in the direction of Thomas's booth. Thomas jumped up just in time to catch Henry before he fell into the display. They both stared in surprise as Keith and Michael speedily backed away.

"Don't worry Henry!" Keith said with an apologetic grin. He pointed to the button pinned to his lapel. "I'll have a piece of you with me!"

* * *

Section 70: The Artistic Types

"I'm sorry, but my older brother isn't here right now."

"Oh... Well, that's fine. I just wanted to return his coat."

The blonde girl, Lydia, frowned at Keith. "Did you steal it?"

"What? No! He… He let me borrow it."

Lydia gave Keith the once-over, then shrugged. "Weird. Never heard of him doing anything nice before. Not unless he expected something in return." She eyed Keith again suspiciously. "Are you sure he doesn't have some ulterior motive?"

Keith tried not to think of what she could be insinuating. "Um… I think he gave it to me because he saw that I was cold?"

Lydia gave Keith a pitying smile and patted his hand as she took the coat from him. "You poor, dear. Take my advice and stay away from my brother. He destroys nice guys like you."

Throughout their conversation, Lydia had been sneaking peaks at Michael. He was absentmindedly looking over the drawings and accessories the booth had to offer, apparently not paying attention to their conversation. When he finally noticed her watching him, Michael immediately said, "So where's Riko?"

Lydia broke into a huge grin. She clapped her hands together and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Ah! I knew it! You're Michael, right? Riko mentioned that you were in Host Club cosplay! That uniform looks great on both of you."

"Um… Thanks. So, about Riko…?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be along soon. So do you guys, like, have the whole group with you?"

"Yup!" Keith answered. "We're going to compete in the cosplay contest."

Lydia's smile became impish as she twirled around in her Victorian inspired dress. "Well that makes two of us. Consider us your competition."

Keith was just about to ask her more about their group's costumes when a voice interrupted him, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Michael responded instantly to the voice. Riko had appeared nearby. She was dressed in the same style as Lydia, but she had abandoned her breeches for a long pink gown. Her steel grey wig was also much longer and pulled into two pig tails. A pink top hat was tilted over one eye, which was already obscured by her bangs. Michael took in her whole appearance at a glance and grinned knowingly at her. Riko crossed her arms and did not look pleased.

Lydia took it upon herself to point out the obvious, "Riko-chan! Mike came to see you!"

"I wanna talk." Michael added simply.

Riko glared at him imperiously, but in the end she nodded. "Fine. But not here."

"Perfect. Let's go to the maid café." Michael said. "I should at least eat one piece of cake while I'm here. If only to stay in character."

Michael cast Keith a questioning look, but Keith waved him off casually. "Go on. I don't mind. I'd better get back to Henry anyway."

Michael nodded at him, thankful to have some more time alone with Riko. They were soon gone, Riko strolling a few steps ahead of Michael, forcing him to follow. Lydia watched them go with a smirk.

"That's interesting…"

"What is?"

"Oh nothing. I just wonder how that's going to turn out."

Keith chuckled and turned his attention to the items on display at Lydia's booth, "Did you make all of these?"

Lydia shook her head and swept her hand over a tasteful display of bows, tiny top hats, hair clips, bell collars and lace gloves.

"These are all mine. A few of the prints are Riko's drawings. The rest of it is all Chris's stuff."

With this last comment she waved impatiently toward the haphazard spread of original drawings. Keith was immediately drawn to them. He was surprised to see characters he recognized. There were sketches of Naruto characters and dark depictions of scenes from the Hellsing anime. There were color portraits of Final Fantasy and other video game characters and even a few realistic depictions of Pokemon.

Keith glanced at Riko's work as well to compare the two. Riko was also very talented, but her style was clearly more traditional manga. Chris's work tended to be more realistic. It was a harsher look, but very captivating. Keith was momentarily shocked to find what he thought was a picture of himself, until he realized it was just a drawing of Hikaru and Kaoru.

A cool stream of air suddenly rushed over Keith's left ear. A shiver ran down his spine and he jumped in surprise, nearly knocking heads with Chris, who just mangaged to avoid the collision by quickly straightening up. He laughed loudly.

Keith's hand moved reflexively to cover his ear, "What are you doing?!"

"Did I scare you?"

"Don't do that!"

"I guess that's a yes. Like what you see?"

"Huh?" Keith asked, his eyes inadvertently moving to observe Chris's butler cosplay.

Chris motioned toward his drawings, "Do you like my drawings?"

"Oh… Yes, they're very good."

"I hate them."

"O-Oh?"

"Lydia here told me I'd need to… _commercialize_ my style if I wanted to sell anything here. I don't like it, but they have been selling, so I guess I can't complain. Whatever brings in the cash, right?"

"… So this isn't how you usually draw?"

"No. Like I said, not really my thing. But it's good practice, and I've even been taking commissions."

"Well… I like these. I mean, you're very… They're very good."

Chris smiled and picked up one of his sketches – a scaly Charizard. "I guess I did kind of like drawing these. It was fun imaging what they'd really look like. I prefer drawing creatures rather than people."

Keith smiled at him, "Then I think you'd get along with Mike. He's crazy about Pokémon."

"Hm. I'd rather draw something that you'd enjoy rather than something for that little punk."

"Hey, are you guys gonna be done flirting soon?" Lydia interjected. She was sitting behind the counter and with her head resting on her hands, looking terribly bored. Keith had entirely forgotten she was there.

"What's the matter, Lydia?" Chris said. He wrapped his arm around Keith's waist and pulled him closer to his side. "I thought you liked that boys love stuff?"

Lydia stuck her tongue out in disgust, "Ew. No. Not when my dreadful brother is involved. Listen, I have things to do, so if you're just standing around hitting on guys then do you mind watching the booth for a while?"

Chris bared his teeth at her and growled, "Scram."

Lydia flashed him a brilliant smile and was soon marching away from them. Keith hurriedly pulled away from Chris and called after her, "We weren't flirting!"

"Whatever! She called over her shoulder. Keith was left feeling like he'd done nothing but draw a lot of curious stares in their direction.

Chis was staring at him again with a devilish expression. He didn't say a word. Desperate to fill the silence, Keith said the only thing that was on his mind.

"Why would you do that?"

"Do what?"

"That. What you just did a second ago. Make your sister think we were… flirting or something."

"I wonder?" Chris said as he walked around to the other side of the table. "Do you have somewhere to be or are you going to hang around?"

Keith hesitated. It was tempting to accept Chris's offer, until he realized it wasn't an offer at all. Chris wasn't asking Keith to stay, he was testing him to see if he would. Feeling defiant, Keith said, "No. I'd better get back to my brother. He's also stuck with booth duty. You should stop by ours later."

"…Maybe I will."

"Okay." Keith scanned the array of pictures again. "Before I go, can I buy one of these?"

He had started to lift the drawing of the Hitachiin twins, thinking it might be a cool gift for Henry, but Chris suddenly grabbed his wrist, halting his movement.

"That one's not for sale," he said, smoothly pulling the paper from Keith's hand. Keith was hyper-aware of Chris's fingers brushing against his wrist as he released him, though he tried not to let his feelings show. He must have succeeded, because Chris continued talking without acknowledging his action. "I'll draw something for you. But not like this. It will be in my usual style."

"…Okay. When should I get it?"

Chris leaned back in his chair, balancing on two of the legs. He stretched his arms behind his head and surveyed Keith leisurely. He seemed to be considering his options.

After a pause, he said, "I'll find you."


	45. Sections 71-73: The Host Club

Section 71: Sweethearts

Michael was surprised to see that he wasn't the only host to visit the maid café that day. Thomas and Tyler were also present, and they had an audience. In fact, they seemed to be drawing in more customers than the maid cosplayers themselves, not that the girls minded. A few of them had settled around Thomas's table, a haram paying homage to the king.

Riko and Michael stopped and exchanged a look when they saw Tyler waving them over. "Should we go somewhere else?" Riko asked.

Michael shook his head. "I'll make this quick, then we'll get our own table. We're bound to run into someone we know anyway, so we might as well just stay here."

Riko hung back as Michael made his way over to Tyler, getting more and more irritated with each step. His impatience did dissipate, however, once he noticed that Nekozawa was seated between the pair of boys, sipping tea and quietly observing Thomas's flirtations with his many admirers.

"What's going on?" Michael asked as he approached their table, "I thought you were going to find Freya? And Tom, weren't you supposed to be getting Kyle? Henry's probably still waiting, you know."

Tyler smiled sheepishly. "Well, I will find Freya. This is just a momentary digression. See, I found Neko-san here and he agreed to help me, but then Tom showed up…"

"Oh my, Mori-sempai has turned very talkative all of a sudden!" one of the fangirls suddenly exclaimed. Her tone was teasing, but Thomas glanced at Tyler in a way that suggested Tyler had better hush up.

Michael offered the girl a bright smile and spoke sweetly, "Takashi is always like this with _me_. But I think he's shy around lovely ladies like you!"

The girls squealed with delight, little knowing that Michael was much older and more worldly than he seemed. Tyler offered him a small smile, silently thanking him for diverting the girls. Michael waited for Thomas to distract the fans again before he continued speaking to Tyler. "Seriously. Get out of here and find Freya! What are you messing with these other girls for?"

Nekozawa suddenly set down his teacup and rose to his feet. "_I'm finished here if you're ready, Mr. Morinozuka. I'm happy to help you find Mr. Fujioka."_

"Mister? Oh that's right! I guess the other characters think Haruhi's a boy, huh? Haha, you're so good at staying in character, Neko-san!"

Nekozawa ignored him. He had turned toward Thomas and slipped past a few of the fans to whisper into Thomas's ear, "_Shall I direct the dark powers to search for Mr. Ootori as well?"_

Thomas squeaked in surprise. He hadn't been aware of Nekozawa's proximity. Rubbing his neck where Nekozawa's cold breath had touched him, he tried to smile with confidence. "Would you? That would be a great help, erm… Nekozawa… Kun…."

Nekozawa nodded and turned again to Tyler, "_Shall we?_"

"Ready when you are, _mon __capitaine_."

Michael shook his head in derision of his friend's carefree attitude, encouraged the fangirls to eat lots of cake and sweets, and at last returned to Riko. She had found a free table and watched Michael stroll toward her. He was happy to see her smiling.

"You guys are ridiculous."

Michael glanced back at Thomas and chuckled, "You were watching huh? Yeah, they're pretty weird."

"Not just them." Riko said with a smirk as Michael took a seat across from her. "You looked like you were putting on quite a show, too."

Michael smiled back, "Does your teasing mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

Riko's smile faded. "I wasn't mad at you."

"Really? It certainly seemed like you were."

"No…" her gaze dropped to her hands. Michael was surprised. He hadn't expected such a shy reaction from Riko. "I overreacted. I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Oh… okay." Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew he should be happy that Riko wasn't angry with him, but something didn't feel right. "I feel like I should apologize too," he said. "I wasn't trying to make you feel bad or anything. I don't care if you like sweet things, Riko."

"Well, that's good. Cause I don't."

"Okay. And that's what I mean. I don't care either way."

"Good," Riko said, but her attempt at sounding casual came out a little terse. "Then let's just not talk about it. Do you want to order some tea?"

Michael frowned. Something was still bothering him. "Riko… Have you ever watched Host Club?"

"No. I don't really like girly anime."

"Oh, right. I suppose you wouldn't. But you know… There's actually this pretty interesting story in one episode. It's all about my character, Hunny. Tamaki convinces him to join the club by telling him that it takes a certain kind of bravery to be able to enjoy the things that make you happy."

"Okay. So what's your point?" Riko said. She was sounding annoyed again.

"Well, that story reminded me of myself a bit. I know a lot of people think that Pokémon is childish. And well, I hate being compared to a child. But I really like Pokémon, so I don't really care what they think. And if people do try to mess with me, I can just beat them up."

"You're an inspiration to us all." Riko said, her voice deadpan.

"What I'm trying to say is I want you to be comfortable sharing your interests with me. I'm not going to judge you, because I know how it feels."

"Fine. I like Godchild and Black Butler. I like anything steampunk. I like gothic stories and horror tales with lots of blood and guts. Anything involving Jack the Ripper is good too."

Riko spoke with perfect conviction, but Michael was unconvinced. He stared her down with a level gaze. "That's all fine, Riko. I would be okay with all of that, if any of it were true."

"_Excuse me?"_

"I'm saying I don't believe you. Why aren't you being honest with me?"

"I _am_ being honest."

"You're wearing that dress."

"Is that what this is about? It was Lydia's idea. And anyway, Ciel Phantomhive wears this when he goes undercover. So it's not like… I mean, I'm just playing the part."

"So you really don't like cute things at all?"

"I really don't!"

"You're lying!"

"No I'm not! Why is it any of your buisness, anyway!?"

"Because I like you!" Michael shouted. Other cosplayers turned to stare at them, but neither Mike nor Riko noticed. "And I want to get to know you better," Michael continued, ignoring the shocked look on Riko's face. "But I can't do that when you get defensive. You have to be willing to be yourself around me. What are you so afraid of?"

For a second, Michael thought Riko was going to yell at him. Or maybe she was just upset enough to run away again. Instead, Riko simply rested her elbows on the table and placed her forehead in her hands.

"Why…? You don't even know me…" she muttered, more to herself than to Michael.

He responded anyway. "I'd like it if you gave me a chance."

He waited patiently. After some time, Riko finally spoke again, "I… I wouldn't like it if people thought I was girly. People think it's immature. I just don't want to be labeled like that… Like some airhead. So I guess I do get defensive… But the truth is… I _really_ like this dress. And I do like desserts. And sometimes I still watch Sailor Moon, but only when I'm by myself. It's just too embarrassing."

"Why are you so embarrassed? I don't mind."

Riko peered at Michael through her laced fingers. He offered her a genuine smile, not like the kind he offered to the fangirls. He hardly knew why hearing Riko tell him her secret made him so happy, but he didn't care.

Riko offered him a weak smile in return. "Can I make another confession?"

Mike's smile broadened. "Of course you can!"

"I lied when I said I'd never seen Host Club. It's actually one of my favorite mangas, but I've never told anyone before."

"Really? That's great!"

"… Hunny is my favorite host."

"Oh… Really?" For some reason this comment made Michael blush.

"Ohmigod, yes!" Riko suddenly gushed. It was as if a dam had broken inside of her. She was finally free to let her admiration spring forth. "He's just so… cute! I love him. With his little rabbit stuffed animal and his uniform… He's just so sweet! I think he's the best by far! I almost freaked when I saw you the first time, but of course I had to pretend like I didn't recognize who you were."

"Oh, so… Do I remind you of him?"

"Yes! You're exactly alike… Well, you look alike anyway. I wouldn't say your personalities are the same. But you are really, really cute."

Michael grinned. It was the first time in his life he had enjoyed being called cute. He reached across the table for Riko's hand.

"Let's order some cake."

* * *

Section 72: Unpleasant Introductions

Thomas stayed in the maid café long after Michael and Riko had moved on. It was quickly becoming a "Host Café" thanks to his mounting popularity among the convention guests. He had completely forgotten about poor Henry waiting at the booth. He was having too much fun talking with his new friends to remember his promise to find Kyle quickly and return.

At the moment, Thomas was busy telling the maid cosplayers how cute they looked in their uniforms. He was acting in character, of course, but he was also genuinely enjoying the looks on their faces as he piled on the compliments. It was fun making the girls happy, and the thought had never crossed his mind that his behavior might be something to sneer at, at least not until he heard a cruel voice speak close beside him

"My, my… Isn't this a shameful sight, Suzuran?"

Thomas looked up into the face of a girl about his age. She was tall and had short brown hair. She was looking down on Thomas with obvious disdain. She was also wearing the St. Roberia Academy school uniform.

"I couldn't have said it any better, Benibara."

Thomas, feeling slightly threatened, only noticed the second girl once she'd spoke. This one had light hair that hung down to her waist. Thomas suspected it was a wig.

"I'm surprised that so many innocent maidens would allow a single man to put them under his spell. The poor things know not what they do."

"Don't blame them, Benibara. You underestimate how much damage a single man can do with his limitless conceit."

The corners of Thomas's mouth twitched. He wasn't sure if this was just clever role-playing or if he should be really insulted. Either way, the girls were doing such a good job at playing the Roberia students that he really just wanted to laugh.

"Please ladies," he said instead, "There's no need for that kind of talk. I was only enjoying the fine company of these lovely princesses."

"Princesses?" The Benio Amakusa cosplayer sneered. "I suppose you think that's supposed to be a compliment? And I'm sure you picture them all as helpless damsels just waiting for a white knight like you to come save them? Don't you know that women are strong enough to take care of themselves without a man's help?"

"Er… No… I mean, yes…"

"Rather than princess," continued the long-haired Chizuru Maihara, "You had better think of us as queens. We women possess a much higher level of nobility and elegance than a helpless princess in a fairytale."

"Though perhaps these blossoming flowers _should_ be treated with more delicacy." Benibara had turned to smile at the gathered crowed of Tamaki fans. "With the right care, I'm sure they'll continue to bloom beautifully."

The onlookers twittered in amusement, eager to see how Thomas would respond to this onslaught. Thomas, happy to give the girls a show, smiled calmly at the Roberia girls.

"And I suppose you know what's better for them than I do?"

"Of course, we're women after all."

"Who better to know what a woman needs than another woman?"

"A man's meager intelligence can never comprehend the beauty of a woman's soul. Least of all a man who only knows how recite shallow compliments."

This last comment came from an as yet unnoticed companion of the other two. She stepped out from behind the taller girls and smiled confidently at Thomas.

Thomas gaped. "H-Hilary?!"

Hilary smiled at him with narrowed eyes. She didn't show the slightest sign of recognizing him. "Actually, it's Hinako Tsuwabuki. And we are the Zuka Club."

* * *

Section 73: Finding Kyle

"KYLE!" Thomas shouted moments later in the hall. He was tearing through the convention, desperately trying to find his friend. "KYLE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Tom!"

Thomas stopped in his tracks and spun around, but it was not Kyle who had called out to him. Tyler waved at him from the entrance of a game room. Freya, Nekozawa, and Regina's group were with him. They all looked at Thomas curiously as he ran toward them. He must have looked frantic, out of breath and tie askew, but Thomas wasn't thinking about that.

"We need… To get the others…" He said between gasps. "Kyle…"

"What's wrong, Tom?" Regina asked. She was clearly concerned. "Has something happened to Kyle?"

"No… But I need to find him. And we need to get everyone else too. We have to rescue Haruhi!"

Tyler raised an eyebrow and gave Thomas a crooked smile, "Uh, dude? What are you talking about? We've got Haruhi right here."

He was referring to Freya, but Thomas waved him off. "No! The Zuka Club has brainwashed my Haruhi! She's in their clutches right now!"

"_Your_ Haruhi?" Tyler glanced at Freya. She looked back at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Well… okay then. Um, we'll help you find _Kyoya_. Any ideas, Neko-sama?"

"_I saw Mr. Ootori earlier in the vendor's room…_"

Thomas gasped and his face turned paler than it had when he'd first seen Hilary in the St. Roberia uniform. He grabbed Nekozawa by the shoulders and shook him. "Are you insane?!" he shouted, as if Kyle's location were somehow Nekozawa's fault.

"Tom… Er, _Tamaki_!" Tyler said as he pulled Thomas off of his friend. He wasn't sure if they were supposed to be acting in character or not, but Thomas had clearly lost it. "Will you stop acting like a freak and tell us what's wrong?"

"Kyle can't be in the vendor's room on his own!" Thomas protested. "He has a shopping addiction!"

"What!?" Regina exclaimed suddenly. "But I thought he was only addicted to as-seen-on-TV products?"

"You don't know the half of it! Kyle's a real compulsive shopper. If it amuses him he'll buy it, and do you know how many amusing things are in that room?! He'll be bankrupt!"

"We have to find him!"

The group took off in the direction of the vendor's room. Even Nekozawa jogged after them, his black cloak billowing out behind him while his hood stayed stubbornly on his head.

Thomas sprinted ahead of the group. For the moment his thoughts were far away from Hilary and the Zuka Club. He was far too worried about his best friend. But no sooner had he rocketed through the entrance of the vendor's room that an angry voice stopped him in his tracks.

"_MILORD_!"

It was Henry. He stomped furiously in the direction of Thomas, who had pulled up short in his search. Keith was close behind his brother, looking substantially less irritated.

"Where the hell were you? I've been watching the stupid booth for over an hour now! We completely sold out of pictures of _you_. A bunch of the girls said that they wanted your picture after seeing you in the maid café! What do you think you were doing?! You were supposed to get Kyle and come right back, but apparently you had plenty of time to flirt with a bunch of preteens!"

"Henry…" Thomas said, only now realizing he had forgotten about him as well, "The booth…"

"Oh don't worry," Henry growled, "I left Mike and his little girlfriend in charge of it. At least until I can drag your ass back there."

"No time!" Thomas shouted. Freya, Tyler, and the rest of them had gathered once again. In a rush they explained to Henry and Keith the dire situation Kyle was probably in. Henry was still fuming about being left with booth duty, and he seemed completely unimpressed by the news.

"Come on, it can't be that bad," he said.

"Henry! It's bad! Kyle can't control himself when it comes to shopping! He gets completely lost!"

"But we just saw Kyle," Keith interjected. "He was standing by a booth selling props from video games and stuff.

"OH NO!" Thomas wailed, "He'll buy everything! Show me where he is!"

Keith and Henry led the others through the throng of shoppers to the booth in question. To Thomas's relief, Kyle was still where the twins had last seen him, looking pensively at a keyblade replica.

"Kyle!" Thomas shouted sharply. "Step away from the merchandise!"

To the surprise of the friends who knew him, Kyle obediently did as he was told. He quickly took a few steps away from the table and swiftly moved his right hand behind his back. His left remained at his side, clutching a small plastic bag.

Thomas noticed the bag instantly. "Ah-ha! I knew it! You _have_ been shopping!"

"Relax, Tom. It's nothing."

"Oh yeah? Hand it over."

Once again, Kyle did as he was told. He passed the bag over to Tom, still keeping his right arm behind his back. Thomas opened the bag and checked each of its contents. He was surprised to find that Kyle was being honest. There wasn't much in the bag at all. He'd bought a couple boxes of Pocky, some gummy candy, a new video game, and a small top hat. Thomas couldn't hide his surprise. He was sure Kyle would have bought more than that, given the amount of time he'd had to look around. Wordlessly, he handed the bag over to Regina, who also peered inside at the contents curiously.

"Satisfied?" Kyle asked, sounding pleased with himself. He smiled when he saw Regina lift the tiny top hat out of the bag.

But Thomas wasn't quite finished. He was still eyeing Kyle with suspicion. "What do you have behind your back, Kyle?"

"What?"

"Behind you. You're holding something behind your back. What is it?"

He expected Kyle to look ashamed at being caught. Instead, he was surprised to see Kyle's lips spread into a thin smile. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and Thomas did not like the wicked expression on his face.

"Oh… You mean this?" he said, slowly lifting his arm. In his hand he held a short wooden paddle, much like one would use to row a boat. But this paddle was smaller and more rounded at the flat end. The word "YAOI" was painted on it in black ink.

Thomas paled as he watched Kyle begin to toss the paddle lazily in the air. He let it spin a few times before catching it again with one hand, his manner completely casual. A few of the conventioneers noticed what he was doing and stopped browsing merchandise to see what was going on. Thomas's pale face turned crimson when he noticed a group of girls giggling when they noticed what was written on the paddle.

"Kyle… What the hell would you need a yaoi paddle for?"

"Oh, you know me… When I saw it I was reminded of you, for some reason. I just had to have it."

"… And why would that make you think of me?"

Kyle laughed. "Well, for example…" He stopped tossing the paddle and gripped the handle tightly with both hands, "Wouldn't it be funny if I hit you with it?"

Thomas's eyes bulged as Kyle came at him with the paddle. He jumped out of the way just as Kyle took his first swing and ran to cower behind Tyler.

"Kyle, no!" he shouted as the crowd of onlookers erupted into laughter. "Get away from me with that thing!"

"Don't use me as your human shield!" Tyler protested as he pushed Thomas toward Kyle.

Thomas had to scramble quickly to get away from Kyle's next swing. He was quickly reduced to running in circles, trying to avoid the wide arc of the paddle. The fangirls were certainly getting a show. A number of them had pulled out cameras and were snapping pictures of Kyoya's attack on Tamaki.

Henry, still angry at Thomas for leaving him at the booth, stuck out his leg and tripped Thomas on his fifth circuit. Poor Tom barely managed to catch himself before falling flat on his face, but to his horror he was pinned to the ground. Kyle had strolled over and pressed his foot between Thomas's shoulder blades.

"Victory!" he cried. The crowd cheered and cameras flashed as he raised the paddle high into the air.

"Kyle!" Thomas bellowed. His hands clenched in tight fists. "If you hit me with that thing, I swear…!"

"What, _Tamaki_? I'm just giving the fans what they want."

And with that, Kyle lifted his foot, took a step back, and swiftly brought the flat side of the paddle down on Thomas's rear end.

Thomas screamed, more with impotent rage than pain, and kicked out at Kyle with both legs. Kyle danced away from him, laughing and twirling the paddle. He even stopped to take a few bows while Freya and Tyler helped Thomas to his feet.

Boiling with anger, Thomas marched up to his so-called friend while his back was still turned. He snatched the paddle out of his hand and swung it against Kyle's bottom. Kyle yelped in surprise.

"Hey!"

"Not so funny now, is it?" Thomas said maliciously. He swung the paddle at Kyle's midsection a few more times, landing some blows on his arms and torso.

"Okay, okay!" Kyle said, laughing still. He crouched on the ground and threw his arms over his head defensively. "I give up! You win! I'm sorry!"

Thomas grunted in disgust and tossed the paddle to the ground in front of Kyle, though his anger was nothing but a mask for his embarrassment. Kyle was still chuckling as he climbed to his feet, picking the paddle up as he followed Thomas.

"Here," he said, handing the paddle to Keith, "I won't be needing this anymore. I imagine you'll get more use out of it than I will."

Keith looked at him in confusion. He had no idea what Kyle meant, but he took the paddle anyway and inspected the flat end. "What is 'yaoi' exactly?"

"I am so surprised that you don't already know. It's a device for making girls really excited. Why don't you try hitting your brother with it?"

From the way Regina had covered his eyes and was shaking her head, Keith could guess that Kyle was making fun of him. He rolled his eyes and let the paddle hang forgotten at his side. He could just ask Chris about it later.

Kyle's attention had already shifted elsewhere. He was looking at Regina, who still held the top hat in her hands. "That's for you," he said quietly, hoping the others wouldn't hear.

Regina jumped, surprised to see him suddenly standing so close. She looked down at the hat in her hands. It was very small, with two long ribbons for securing it on the head. Its brim was festooned with white lace and red bows. A cluster of red and pink flowers decorated one side.

"It looked like something you would wear."

"Thank you," Regina said softly, but when she glanced up she saw her friends watching them closely. Her face reddened to match the flowers on the hat as she dropped the hat back into Kyle's bag. "But I don't have anything to match it."

She pushed the bag into Kyle's hands and turned to grip Freya's arm, "Come on. We'll be late for the next panel."

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Tyler shouted, chasing after them. Kyle looked like he might have liked to do the same, but instead he sighed and resolutely turned his back on their group. He offered a halfhearted smirk to Thomas.

"So… What were we all gathered for anyway? I know it wasn't just to give me an opportunity to beat you in front of everyone."

Thomas might have gotten angry again, but his concern for Hilary overruled his embarrassment. "It's Haruhi! I mean… Hilary!"

"Hilary?" asked Henry, perking up considerably. "You saw her?"

"Yes! And she's in trouble. We have to help her!"  
"Why didn't you say something?!" Henry shouted, grabbing Thomas by the lapels of his jacket, "Where is she? What kind of trouble is she in?"

"I'll explain on the way!" Thomas said, spinning around and preparing to run again. "Kyle, are you coming?"

Kyle sighed, "Yeah… I suppose I have nothing better to do now. Where exactly is Hilary?"

Thomas looked blank.

"Don't tell me you don't know where she is!" Henry said testily.

Thomas bit his lip and knit his brows together. The Zuka Club could have taken Hilary anywhere by now. He was just thinking they would have to start at the Maid Café again when a thin, pale hand tapped him on the shoulder.

Thomas turned to have Bereznoff shoved into his face. Nekozawa chuckled.

"_Perhaps I could be of assistance?"_


	46. Section 74: Zuka Club

Author's Note: Apologies for the prolonged lack of updates. But I finally have some time to write, and I hope to bring you regular updates until the story is done. For now, here's a short chapter to get back into the swing of things. And thanks to everyone who as waited so patiently over the past few weeks.

* * *

Section 74: Haruhi Liberated

What dark powers Nekozawa must possess, Thomas did not know. The only thing he was certain of was that the scary cosplayer certainly had a knack for locating people in the bustling convention. It took them only five minutes to find the Roberia group, who had coincidentally entered the vendor's room themselves since Kyle had begun his yaoi paddle exhibition.

"Hilary!" Thomas shouted as soon as he spied his friend. Nekozawa was pushed unceremoniously out of the way as both Thomas and Henry rushed forward. "Hilary, I've come to rescue you!"

"He means _we've_ come to recuse you!" Henry growled. The Roberia girls scowled at him. "Er… Not that you need rescuing…" he backtracked hastily, "Are these your friends?"

Hilary blushed, her eyes flicking back and forth between Thomas and Henry. She seemed to regain her composure slightly, and she was able to introduce her friends with a cool levelheadedness.

"Yes. These are Bianca and Suzie. They go to the same school as Freya." Hilary's body language became even more reserved as she scanned the faces of the group behind Thomas. "Where is Freya, anyway?"

Bianca scoffed, "Probably run away if she was forced to join a group like this. Can you imagine having to pass the hours away with a group of boys such as this, Suzuran?"

"Certainly not, Benibara." The long-haired Suzie retorted. She was staring at Thomas with barely masked disdain. Thomas was now certain that it was no act. These girls genuinely despised him, and he had no idea why.

"There's no reason to be so rude," Keith said as he stepped forward. He grabbed his brother's arm, no doubt a precaution against allowing his brother to hit a girl. "We only came to say hello to Hilary."

Hilary offered him a faint smile, but when Bianca gave her a small nudge her grin turned into a grimace. "Oh really? Because it sounded like you wanted to drag me away from my current, pleasant company in favor of your ridiculous group of posers."

"Posers!" Henry shouted, "We're cosplayers, just like you!"

Hilary's heart broke to see him shouting at her so angrily, but she kept her face a dispassionate, haughty mask. "I was referring to the posing that's common practice among all men. You seem to make it your business to act superior in matters involving women. Perhaps instead of rushing to our rescue you ought to consider the possibility that we do not need your rescuing."

"What the hell have these girls done to you?!"

"_These girls_ are my friends. And I'm trying to enjoy my time with them, if you don't mind."

"Hilary…" Thomas said, his voice unbearably sad. It took all of Hilary's acting genius and Bianca's continued prodding not to break her character just then. "Hilary, this isn't like you. Are you just acting? Because if you're angry with me…"

"That is enough," Bianca said, perhaps sensing that Hilary's will was about to break. "Why do you insist on plaguing us like this? We will not be handing over any respectable female into your despicable hands."

Suzie nodded in agreement with her leader's words, "We were content to leave you in peace for the duration of this event, but if you insist on denying us the same courtesy, then we will have no choice but to declare open war on your little club."

The two turned to Hilary, clearly expecting her to contribute to their tirade, but Hilary was silent. She was looking at Thomas, clearly at a loss for what to do next. Thomas was gazing steadfastly back at her, as if he could make himself understood by a simply look alone.

"This is stupid," Henry said suddenly, breaking the momentary spell between Hilary and Thomas. "I mean, what are we all fighting for? Hilary is our friend too."

Thomas took a deep breath and nodded his agreement. "Henry's right. I'm all for keeping in character, but don't you think you're taking this a little too far? And besides, you told me you hate the Zuka club. You called them obnoxious!"

"How dare you!" Bianca thundered. She drew herself up to her full height, which was roughly the same as Thomas, and strode forward until they stood less than a foot away. "You're trying to poach our friend!" she continued to shout into Thomas's face. "I won't stand for it! This is just so like a man, to assume that he knows what's best for a woman! To make claims about whom she can and can't be friends with! Next you'll be telling her that she'll really be happiest in the kitchen!"

"Oh give it a rest, Bianca!" Hilary finally snapped. She grabbed the girl by the arm and dragged her away from Thomas. "He isn't like that at all. He spends more time in the kitchen than any girl I know! And I'm certain that he's only thinking about what's best for me."

With this last comment Hilary met Thomas's gaze. He smiled at her, relief clearly visible in his face, and Hilary blushed again deeply.

"You can't be serious!" Bianca exclaimed, shattering the moment. "These boys have poisoned your mind!"

Hilary accepted the hand that Henry offered her, then reached out for Thomas as well. She stood between the two boys, looking defiantly at her outraged friends. "Do you even listen to yourself, _Benibara_? I joined your group because I thought it would be fun! But all you've done since we got here is ridicule other cosplayers! I don't like it, and I'm spending the rest of the convention with Thomas's group."

But Bianca had turned away from Hilary. She had fixed her rage on Thomas and turned once again to face him. "You! This is your fault! I knew you were a bad influence the second I saw you amongst all those fangirls! I won't let you get away with this!"

"Oh really?" Kyle spoke for the first time since their encounter with the Roberia group began, "And what did you intend to do to us? I'm afraid you're outnumbered as well as outwitted. It would be best for you to back down gracefully while you still can."

Suzie took a tentative step forward and laid an arm on Bianca's arm. She glared at Kyle. "I'd like to know what _your_ group would intend to do to _us_. It seems to me that your lot has no tactics that are not available to us as well. Just cheap feelings and shallow speeches. You talk big but you're nothing."

Kyle smirked in the face of her insults, "Oh, I'm sure there are many ways of dealing with people like you."

"_If you want to curse them I can help you_," an eerily deep voice murmured from behind them.

The Roberia girls jumped in surprise and spun around to face the source of the ominous words. Nekozawa had somehow crept unnoticed around the perimeter of the group as the argument ensued, and he was now crouched behind the girls, only a few inches from where they had been standing a second before.

"_I couldn't help but overhear your predicament. Could I interest you in a nice voodoo doll? I have some sample ones with me…_"

From his dark robes Nekozawa drew out two small rag dolls. The Zuka Club girls looked down and saw to their horror that the little figures were dressed in Roberia school uniforms.

Squealing in a most unladylike manner, they leaped away from Nekozawa and began to retreat from the whole group. Bianca pointed a shaking finger towards Thomas as they left. "This isn't the end, Suoh! We won't forget this!"

She looked as if she would have said more, but as Nekozawa took another step toward them, brandishing the voodoo dolls, she and Suzie screamed again and took off running.

"All right!" Henry exclaimed. He rushed to Nekozawa's side and gave him a smack on the back that nearly knocked the boy over. "Nekozawa saves the day again! Thanks buddy."

"_I don't know what they were so afraid of_," Nekozawa said, showing the dolls to Henry, "_They're just some souvenirs I picked up at a vendor's booth_."

Henry inspected the little schoolgirl dolls and chuckled, "Well they must have looked convincing enough to scare those two away. We owe you one. Right, Milord?"

But Thomas was indisposed to answer. He was too busy hiding behind Kyle's back. "Is he gone yet?" he asked.

"Tom… What are you doing?"

"N-Nothing," Thomas said, hastily stepping away from his hiding place. He didn't want to admit that Nekozawa scared him as much as he scared the Zuka Club. "Nicely done, N-Nekozawa. Thanks again for all of your help."

Nekozawa bowed deeply. "_It was my pleasure, Mr. Suoh. And now I think you had better bring the rest of your entourage up to speed?_"

He lifted his arm and pointed through the crowd toward where Regina's group was making their way quickly toward them, Tyler in tow.

"Tom, what's going on? We passed some Zuka Club cosplayers on the way over here and heard one of them saying some really nasty things about you!" Regina said.

"It's okay, nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, we had to talk some sense into Hilary," Henry said. He was still holding onto Hilary's hand, which he gave a tight squeeze as he turned to smile at her chidingly. "What were you doing with girls like that anyway?"

Hilary sighed and shook her head. "They're friends from the community theater. They're actually really great actresses. I agreed to join their cosplay group because I thought it would be fun."

"Well that sure worked out well, didn't it?"

Hilary laughed. "I didn't realize they were zealots! They don't know how to break character! I realized I'd made a mistake the second we got here, but I didn't know how to give them the slip!"

"Poor Hilary!" Regina exclaimed upon hearing this confession, "Well, I know just the thing to do! We need to get you out of that hideous uniform and into something much more appropriate! Good thing I always pack backup cosplay. I have just the thing in our room!"

Hilary looked down at her Roberia uniform and grimaced. "Well… I can't say I want to stay in this thing. Sure, I'll change."

Regina beamed and turned to her friends and Freya, giving them instructions on what to do while she was busy redesigning Hilary. Henry caught Hilary's hand again as she was about to follow.

"Hey… Don't be a stranger. I'd hate if I had to rescue you from Regina's group the same way we got you away from those Zuka girls."

Hilary smiled back at him, "Don't worry. I'll be right back."


	47. Sections 75&76: The Ladies

Section 75: Approaching Danger

"It fits perfectly! And you look great, too. My seamstress powers never cease to amaze me."

Hilary smiled in response to Regina's self-praise and performed a single pirouette. The yellow skirt of her girls' Ouran Academy uniform twirled about her stocking-clad legs as she moved.

"I'm just glad we're the same size," Hilary remarked as she moved to the mirror. She checked her hair and adjusted the small red ribbon-tie around the collar of the dress. She couldn't stop grinning at her own reflection. She liked the look of herself in this uniform much better than that of the discarded Zuka Club outfit.

"Well, that certainly was lucky, but I still think most of the credit goes to me for making such a flawless costume. Tom can eat his heart out."

"Tom can?" Hilary asked, thinking she must have misunderstood.

"Yeah. He's been bragging non-stop about making all of his group's costumes. About time he acknowledged my superior skill."

"Oh… Right." Hilary decided not to comment one way or the other about Thomas's sewing ability. She checked over her image in the mirror one last time, just to be sure that the skirt lay smoothly over the white underskirt. "Okay, I'm ready."

* * *

It was a short walk from the room Regina shared with her friends to the hotel lobby. Hilary automatically started to walk toward the entrance to the convention center, but Regina halted her progress with a light touch on her shoulder.

"No, wait. I see them now." Regina pointed to the second story balcony. The fluffy dresses of Regina's friends and Freya's blue jacket were unmistakable, even from a distance. There they were, standing against the railing overlooking the lobby.

"I told them to meet us in the game room," Regina said, her curled hair bouncing around her face as she shook her head from side to side. "Come on. We'd better fetch them."

Hilary followed closely behind Regina's quick pace, glancing up toward their friends again. "Who's that with them?"

"Hm?" Regina paused, squinting up at the three figures they hadn't seen before. "Some guys? Cosplayers?"

But as they got nearer, Hilary stopped. Whoever they were, the three guys talking to Freya and the others were definitely not cosplayers. Freya's friends were standing close together, pressed against the low half-wall bordering the balcony. Freya was standing in front of them, almost nose to nose with one of the guys. Hilary thought she heard raised voices over the general murmur of the busy lobby.

"Regina, I think there might be something wrong."

Regina's head snapped instinctively to look for her friends again. Apparently, she too noticed the intense atmosphere above their heads, and she moved that much faster toward the stairs. This time it was Hilary who reached out to stop her progress.

"No, wait. We should go get some help."

"But…" Regina's expression was twisted with concern. She kept looking over her shoulder at her friends. "But we can't just leave them. What if they're in real trouble?"

"I'll go to them. Maybe it's nothing. You go and get some help just in case."

Regina didn't waste any time. Before Hilary had even turned to hurry up the stairs, Regina was already bolting across the lobby as fast as her platform heels could carry her. A few conventioners shouted in indignation when she burst through their group, but Regina didn't bother to apologize. Instead, she rounded on them and grabbed one guy by the lapels of his Alucard-style coat.

"Where's the Host Club?!" Regina demanded.

Something in her voice must have convinced them of her urgency. Then again, maybe it was the wild look in her eyes that said she wasn't a girl to be messed with. One of the Alucard cosplayer's friends answered for him, a girl dressed in some unrecognizable uniform. "W-We just saw them. The whole group. They were at a booth in the artist's alley."

Regina released her captive and took off again, beating a path through the vendor's room in record time. Sure enough, she found the boys amidst a group of fans, shamelessly selling off the last of the photos. Regina pushed her way through the crowd just as Kyle was saying, "It's a shame, really. We'll have to prepare more prints next year in order to meet the demand."

"Kyle!" Regina yelled, tripping over her own shoes as she finally broke through the group.

Kyle caught her reflexively, though he looked completely surprised to find her suddenly in his arms. He held onto her even after she'd found her footing, though in her distress Regina felt comforted rather than disturbed by his closeness.

"Regina? What is it? What's wrong?"

Regina lifted her face towards him, blinking back tears and suddenly feeling very foolish. She wasn't even sure her friends were in any sort of danger, and yet here she was, stupidly slipping into hysterics.

Kyle pushed a stray curl out of Regina's face, his fingers brushing her cheek. "Regina, tell me what's happened."

Kyle's low, calm voice worked on Regina like magic. Her furiously beating heart slowed to a tolerable pace. She took a deep breath and spoke, "It's the girls. They're talking to some guys, but it seemed like something was wrong. Hilary went to help them."

"Hilary went where?" Henry asked. He had a sixth sense for detecting Hilary's name in a conversation.

Kyle released Regina and addressed the guys in her stead, "It seems that Hilary and the others ran into some trouble. Tom, could you and the twins go with Regina to make sure everything's okay?"

"Of course," Thomas said without hesitation, concern clouding his expression. "Lead the way, Regina."

"Is Freya with them?" Tyler asked. When Regina nodded at him Tyler's jaw clenched with resolve. "Okay, I'm going with you guys."

Regina was starting to feel the tightness in her chest indicative of panic again. She reached for Thomas's arm and starting pulling him away, "They're on the second floor overlooking the lobby. Maybe it's nothing, but let's not waste any more time!"

* * *

Section 76: Over the Edge

There was no question about it. The boys were definitely threatening the girls. They had spaced themselves around the small trio. Freya was still standing protectively in front of Regina's friends, who looked nervous. Freya didn't seem flustered in the slightest, but Hilary quickened her pace when she saw one of the guys grab Freya roughly by the arm.

"Hey!" she shouted, not really knowing what she planned to do about the situation. "What do you guys think you're doing?"

All three of the guys, none of them much older than Hilary herself, shifted their attention to her with sullen glares. The guy who held Freya's arm sneered.

"What's this? Another girlfriend? And she's dressed as stupid as the last. How many girls do you have, man?"

The truth broke over Hilary. Dressed as she was in the Ouran boy's uniform, the boys hadn't realized Freya was a girl.

"Jeez, I just don't get it. How's a guy like you end up with four cute girlfriends? It's not like you have anything to offer."

"Maybe it's because I don't call the clothes they wear stupid." Freya said brazenly. "Unlike some people, I have manners."

Her opponent gripped her other arm and jerked her away from Regina's friends. They attempted to retreat, but his buddies were there to block path. Hilary ran up behind them and tried to push them away, but they wouldn't budge. It was like she wasn't even there.

"Leave them alone!" Hilary demanded, but Freya shook her head at her.

"I'll handle this, Hilary. It's okay."

They guy who had a hold of Freya shook her roughly, laughing as he did so. "Trying to be noble now, huh?"

"I don't need to be noble to stand up to guys like you. Why don't you do us all a favor and just leave?"

"A favor? We were doing them a favor by coming to talk! They're obviously looking for some attention dressed like that!"

One of his friends suddenly spoke up, "I figure they're with those losers."

He jerked his thumb in the direction of the convention entrance. Even across the hall one could see the over-the-top costumes worn by most of the guests as they wandered in and out.

The mouth of Freya's captive stretched into a wicked smile. "Oh, so you're one of the anime geeks, are you? And what're you supposed to be? This some uniform from one of your gay-ass TV shows?"

Freya pushed him away. Her sudden movement caught him off guard, and he actually stumbled back a few paces before catching himself.

"We don't have to take any of your abuse anymore," Freya declared, her voice clear and level, "You've been nothing but rude and offensive since you approached us. Since we clearly have nothing to gain from this discussion, I suggest you leave before I report you to hotel staff."

"Nothing to gain?" Her adversary's gaze travelled over to Regina's friends, still huddled together for protection. Hilary, unable to move his comrades, had simply pushed past them to join the terrified girls. His eyes locked on Hilary's and he grinned lasciviously. "Well, I wouldn't say that."

"Please leave."

His frown returned as he looked back toward Freya. "You know, I'm starting to think my chances would improve if you were… out of the way."

He jumped toward Freya and hefted her into the air easily, though that didn't stop one of his lackeys from breaking formation and rushing to help him hold Freya over the edge side of the balcony.

One of Regina's friends screamed and Hilary started shouting something at the guys that Freya was only distantly aware of. She could feel her calves resting against the top of the rail, her feet dangling uselessly high above the floor. Her blood was starting to rush to her head and she somewhat unintelligently looked down at the scene below her. At least some people outside of her group had finally taken notice of them. People had hastily moved away from the space directly below her and were now pointing in her direction. Help would surely be on the way. At any rate, she was sure the boys only meant to intimidate her, though she could feel their grip slipping as they increasingly tried to maneuver her into a more precarious angle.

"So what do you think?" The guy was asking his friend. "Do we let the geek go, or do we let him _go_?"

His hands lessened their hold for a fraction of a second, just long enough for Freya to feel an unpleasant lurch as she slipped down a few inches. More screams. Freya couldn't tell from where they came from, though she thought she heard someone on the first floor shout her name.

"Go ahead," Freya said with perfect calm. She still thought they lacked conviction. "But I doubt it would help your chances with my friends. Girls tend to find unnecessary hostility and a criminal record a turn-off."

"God, I am so tired of listening to you talk." His hands loosened and Freya started to slip, inch by inch.

"Dude! What are you doing?!" his friend demanded, his voice panicky, "I can't hold him by myself!"

"Why not? It's not like he weighs anything."

"Seriously, help me pull him back up! It's not funny anymore!"

But neither of his friends seemed inclined to help him, and Freya was slowly slipping as the boy who held her struggled to get a better grip that would allow him to pull her to safety. She realized suddenly that he wouldn't be able to hold on to her. A split-second later, she fell.


	48. Sections 77&78: The Host Club

Section 77: To the Rescue

Thomas was right behind Regina when she stopped in her tracks and screamed. Following her gaze, he felt his stomach turn to lead at the sight of Freya, precariously dangling over the edge of the second-story balcony. He shouted her name as Henry, Keith, and Tyler all rushed right by him, veering toward the stairs. Regina seemed rooted to the spot in horror, but Thomas broke into a sprint. His path led him not toward the stairs, but straight toward the balcony. Hardly thinking through his actions, he only knew that he had to be near Freya, ready to catch her if she should fall.

He was lucky. Had he waited a second longer, he wouldn't have made it in time. The boy who was holding on to Freya lost his grip, and an instant later Freya plummeted toward the ground.

He thought his heart must have stopped. His chest felt tight and heavy. He couldn't breathe. Then he realized Freya had fallen on him.

"Tom?" Freya asked blankly, then she pushed herself up and said again, "Oh, Tom!"

He must have had the wind knocked out of him when he'd landed on his back, but his breathlessness hardly mattered to him. Seeing that Freya was unharmed was such an enormous relief.

"Tom, talk to me. Are you okay?"

He felt fine. There would be bruises, certainly, and his breath was now coming back to him in slow, burning gasps. He was also experiencing such a whirlwind of emotions that he wasn't sure what to do with himself. And yet despite it all, he felt fine.

But he was worrying Freya. He could see it in her face as she leaned over him, as if afraid to move or touch him. Thomas pulled her toward him in a tight embrace, willing her to feel that he was unharmed, and that he had been just as worried about her.

"I was so scared," he murmured, finally finding his voice again, "I was so scared I wouldn't catch you."

Freya was silent then, but only for a moment. "I'm okay," she said, returning his hug and patting him comfortingly on the shoulder, "Everything's going to be alright."

"Excuse me? Sir?" The hotel manager was standing over them. He was an older man with quite a bit of grey in his hair. From the way he was wringing his hands now Thomas wouldn't be surprised if the man had a few more silver strands by the end of the day. "Are you both alright? Should I have someone call an ambulance?"

Freya slowly climbed off of Thomas, still looking at him as if he might be fatally wounded. To allay her fears, Thomas made a show of standing up quickly with no fuss.

"That won't be necessary. We're just fine."

The man exhaled deeply, "Thank goodness for that."

"Are you the hotel manager?"

The three of them turned their attention to Kyle, who was only just now strolling toward the scene, looking very much like a man doing nothing more than enjoying a casual stroll rather than a concerned friend.

"Yes…" The manager responded, somewhat hesitant to hear what was wrong now. "Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Kyle Ore." Kyle said simply, nodding toward Thomas and Freya. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of directing your security staff to apprehend the men who assaulted our friends."

"What? Oh, yes of course. Well, we're very sorry for all of this, but I'm still a little unsure of what exactly has been going on!"

Freya stepped forward suddenly. Thomas, wary to let her too far from his side, grabbed her hand reflexively. She glanced at him but did not pull away. "It's my fault," she explained to the manager, "I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't."

"Freya, no." Thomas said, "You couldn't have done anything wrong."

Freya explained the whole story to Kyle, Thomas, and the manager in a few words. How she and Regina's friends had been approached by three hotel guests. How the boys wouldn't let them leave and how they had started harassing the girls. By the end of her story, the manager looked ready to promise her anything so long as the incident didn't end up in a law suit for his hotel.

His profuse apologies were interrupted by the appearance of the hotel security. The six burly men were holding not only the three boys who had threatened the girls, but Henry, Keith, and Tyler as well. Thomas observed that his friends were struggling valiantly against their captors, but the other three seemed like the fight had already been beaten out of them. One boy had a cut and swollen lip. Another was already developing a large goose-egg on his forehead that was sure to bruise brilliantly. The third simply clutched his stomach and groaned.

"We got them, just as you instructed," one security guard said, addressing Kyle rather than the manager. "We also had to restrain these three." He indicated the twins and Tyler. "They were found savagely beating the others when we reached the scene."

"Under the circumstances I think that's understandable." Kyle said, though he was looking at the would-be hosts with distaste. "They're with us. No doubt they felt they were protecting the others. Surely you won't begrudge them a little self-defense?"

The security guards looked doubtful. It was clear they didn't believe the beat-down they'd witnessed could ever count as self-defense. And yet they directed the choice of action to the hotel manager, who could do nothing more than wring his hands anew.

"I should inform the police…"

"Please wait." Freya interrupted, "I don't want to press charges."

"Freya, are you sure?" Thomas asked. "They could have seriously hurt you."

Freya was looking at the boy who had held her from the balcony, the one who had tried to pull her up at the last minute. He was the one clutching his stomach with pitiful groans. "I don't want this to ruin the rest of our weekend. Can't we just go back to the con and forget about it?"

"I completely agree with Freya," Kyle said in a businesslike manner, "Provided that these gentlemen don't intend to level any charges against our friends, I'm sure we would all be willing to forget the attempted murder."

Everyone flinched at the word 'murder,' but Kyle had achieved his desired effect. The three troublemakers looked perfectly terrified and quickly assented that they wanted nothing more to do with the group of cosplayers. The general consensus seemed to be that both groups should go their separate ways and ignore the whole incident.

"Then it's settled," Kyle said, turning once again to the manager, "You will, of course, be throwing them out of this hotel? I think a lifetime banishment would be in order."

"Yes, absolutely!" The manager said, his voice and expression betraying the relief he felt that the whole unpleasant incident could be so easily dealt with. He nodded curtly to the security guards, instructing them to escort the three boys off the premises. Any further complaints the three might have had were silenced by the dangerous glares Tyler and the twins directed at them as they were led away.

The manager sighed heavily, but Kyle wasn't done with him yet. Adjusting his glasses carefully and emitting a deep sigh of his own, Kyle addressed the manager with careful exasperation. "I'm thankful this could all end without violence." He didn't seem to think the injuries sustained by the attackers worth mentioning. Continuing in the same tone he added, "But I'm really shocked this sort of thing could happen in such a prestigious hotel. I don't know how we could stay with such a traumatizing event hanging over our heads. I'm afraid I'll have to talk with the convention staff about changing the venue in the future."

The manager paled visibly. He was very unwilling to lose future business to this unfortunate matter. Especially not the fortune the hotel was making for hosting the convention. "Now, sir! Surely we could come to some kind of arrangement? I'm sure the staff and I would personally see to any needs you and your friends have. Could I offer you a partial refund for your rooms? Complementary room service? Whatever you need, sir!"

Kyle considered this for a moment and said, "Make it a full refund and throw in a few free nights and we may have ourselves a deal."

As Kyle and the manager moved away to continue their negotiations, Tyler and the twins were finally free to join the others. Henry immediately ran to Hilary, who had hung back from the others with Regina's friends until the security guards left. Thomas, however, stayed by Freya's side, even as Tyler came and swept her up in his arms.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Do you feel okay? Do you want to go back to the room to rest for a bit?" Tyler asked in a rush. With her body pressed against his, Freya could feel each beat of his rapidly beating heart. With mounting awkwardness, Freya comforted a panicking teenager for the second time that day.

"I'm really okay, Tyler. Except you're crushing me."

Tyler released Freya and held her at arm's length, his face reddening. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… but you're really not hurt? When you fell…"

"I landed on Thomas," Freya explained. Then she turned to her rescuer. "Are you sure you're alright? That can't have felt good."

"Oh, yeah! I'm just fine!" Thomas said, even as his aching back and sore shoulder called him a liar. "I'm… We're all just glad no one was seriously injured."

"C'mon," Freya said, grabbing each of their hand's in one of her own. She ignored the trembling she could feel coming from them both. "I seriously do not want to talk about it anymore. We're probably missing some really cool stuff right now."

Freya's wish would simply have to wait. Before they could even navigate their way back to the vendor's room, they were mobbed by cosplayers who wanted nothing more than to discuss their adventure.

"Tamaki! Is it true you saved Haruhi?"

"I heard some guys tried to drop her off the roof!"

"No! It was a fourth story terrace!"

"I was there! They dropped her from the second floor! Tamaki flew in and caught her!"

The trio of friends were completely buffeted by the crowd, with demands for photos and questions thrown at them from all sides. Eventually they decided it was easiest to move with the group rather than fight it. Tyler blinked at them all in surprise as Thomas tried to field everyone's questions. He laughed suddenly and smiled at Freya.

"Who'd have thought this would boost our popularity?"

* * *

Section 78: A Request

"Hey, Henry? I'm going to walk the girls back to their room for a bit."

Henry nodded at his brother and turned to Hilary, "Do you want to go back to your room, too?"

Hilary shook her head. "No," she muttered softly, "No, I'm… I'm thirsty. Can we get something to drink?"

"Sure," Henry said, taking her hand and then addressing Keith, "You go on ahead. Hilary and I will grab some snacks and things to bring back to the room."

They parted ways, Keith leading Regina's friends toward their hotel room and Henry taking Hilary in search of some vending machines. Henry tried to make conversation as they walked, but Hilary was oddly quiet. He could tell that her mind was still on the incident, but he was at a loss as to how he should approach the subject.

He decided the best course of action was to say nothing about it, and he steadfastly kept up the light banter until they'd reached the vending machines.

"What do you want? I'll treat."

"… Just water will be fine."

"You sure? Well okay. I think I'll get orange soda for me and Keith."

Hilary smiled for the first time since Freya fell. "Do you and Keith always get the same thing?"

"Yeah! Our parents had to buy two of everything. Ever since we were kids our likes and dislikes have all been the same." Henry winced. He suddenly remembered that when it came to girls and guys, he and his twin no longer shared everything in common. "Well, I suppose we don't _always_ like the same things…"

Hilary looked watched his expression change with curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Henry looked at her with chagrin. He nearly forgot that Keith had decided to keep his sexuality a secret for the time being. Henry was not about to betray his brother's trust, not even to Hilary.

Rather than risk outing Keith, Henry decided to steer their conversation to another controversial topic. Knowing that Hilary was probably still feeling shaken after what was almost a horrible accident; Henry still risked voicing the thoughts that had been plaguing him since Hilary had first turned him down.

"What do I mean?" he began cautiously, speaking slowly so that Hilary could stop him if she wished, "Well, I know that when it comes to you, Keith and I feel very differently."

Hilary was drinking deeply from her water bottle. She couldn't speak to stop him, but the glance she leveled at him was a clear warning to watch what he was about to say.

Henry took a deep breath and continued, "Hilary, you know I haven't stopped liking you. But I've kept my distance, as promised, because I know that you still have a crush on Tom."

Hilary lowered her water bottle and sighed, "So why bring it up now?"

"Because of what happened."

They looked at each other in silence while Hilary processed what he meant. "With Freya?" Hilary said, and when the look on Henry's face confirmed her guess she asked, "What has Freya got to do with anything?"

"Because it's obvious Tom cares about her." Henry was still speaking slowly, putting every effort into keeping his voice calm and not challenging. "You saw how he was with her. He wouldn't let go of her after she fell, even when he was sure she was okay…"

"Tom was worried about her, Henry. We all were. She could have been seriously hurt."

Henry closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, "Of course everyone was worried. I was scared for Freya too. But once I was sure she'd be okay, I knew I had to see you. You were up there with the others, Hilary. I couldn't forget about you, even with Freya in danger. I had to make sure you were alright."

He glanced up at Hilary to see what effect his words were having and was relieved to see that she hadn't shut down on him. On the contrary, Hilary was visibly softened by his words. She couldn't be angry with him while he was telling her how much he cared about her wellbeing.

Emboldened by her attitude, Henry continued on to the point he knew might pain her most.

"Tom didn't feel the same, Hilary. He was too concerned about Freya. He's your friend, but he doesn't care about you the way that I do. If he did, then he wouldn't have forgotten you like that. _I_ could _never_ have forgotten you like that."

The words had the effect they knew he would. Hilary was stung, and she started to pull away from him emotionally. But Henry finally had the opportunity to voice the frustration he had felt for months, and he was not ready to give up without a fight. He pulled Hilary into a tight embrace, praying as he did that she wouldn't hate him for it. To his surprise and joy, she didn't pull away. He felt her lean against him with a resigned sigh.

"Give me a chance," he whispered into her hair, "Please, just give a chance and I'll make you forget all about Tom."

Hilary allowed him to hold her for a few more moments before she pulled away. "You can't ask me to make this decision now."

Henry was reluctant, both to let her go and to drop the subject. But he sighed and relinquished his hold on her in more ways than one.

"I know," he said sadly. And yet the determination was still in his voice when he added, "But I want you to think about it. I know I can make you happy, Hilary."

Hilary stared at him for what seemed like a very long time, then she smiled at him rather suddenly.

"Do you know what, Henry? I really think you could."


	49. Section 79: Kyoya and Renge

Author's Note: I suddenly seem to find myself in the position to attend Naka-Kon this year. It's the convention that I rather shamelessly used as my reference for Kana-Kon. It's been about four years or so since I last went to a convention. I wonder how it will compare to how I remember it?

Also, I completely forgot that I had a poll up on my profile. The question asks "Who is your favorite Oswego High School Host Club character?" So far, the results are as follows:

In first place, Tyler Morrison with 10 votes!

Second: Thomas Smith with 7 votes.

Kyle and Freya are tied for third with 4 votes each.

Next it Michael with 3 votes, then Keith and Regina with two, and finally Henry with 1. Poor Henry, but at least he got a vote! Poor Hilary was left with nothing!

I will open a new poll to those interested in voting again. The final results will be revealed once the convention is over. Speaking of, we've not much longer now. Thanks to everyone who's stayed with this story so far. I really appreciate your support.

Happy reading. - jinxauthor

* * *

Section 79: Lover's Quarrel

She was the first thing Kyle saw upon finishing his negotiations with the hotel manager. Looking vaguely pathetic sitting alone in the busy hotel lobby, Regina was also alarmingly out of place among the casually dressed hotel patrons. Kyle couldn't help but smile when she jumped up to meet him, signs of worry still etched on her face.

"Will everything be alright?"

"Oh, yes. We came off pretty well actually. I was able to arrange a few free nights for everyone in our group. That includes you and your friends, of course. Complimentary room service, too."

Kyle's smile faltered. Regina didn't seem even slightly comforted. "You're not talking about the hotel, are you?"

Regina shook her head and stared down at her clasped hands. When she spoke, her voice was tight, as is she was holding back a sob. But she was strong. Kyle was pleased to see that although her voice was strained, her eyes were dry.

"My friends… They were in danger… And... I-I couldn't…"

"So that's what this is about," Kyle said with a sigh, "You were worried about your friends. Understandable, I suppose."

"Understandable! Kyle, Freya could have been killed!"

Kyle looked at the second floor balcony dubiously, "Killed? Doubtful. Possibly a broken bone if Thomas hadn't cushioned her fall, but nothing fatal. And besides, the crisis is over. Why worry now?"

"I was _scared_, Kyle."

"Yes, and what good is it doing you now? Look, I'm sure you're friends are back in their room, enjoying some snacks and freshening up before the next event. And if I know Tyler at all, he's already dragged Freya away to her next big adventure. Plus, now we all have a great story to tell about our time at this convention."

"A great story?! I don't plan on bragging that I almost let one of my friends get killed!"

"Trust me, everything is funnier in retrospect. We'll be laughing about all this tomorrow. And like I said, no one was going to be killed. Except maybe those guys if security hadn't stepped in when they did. I think Tyler and the twins really would have murdered them."

"Kyle!"

"There, you see?" Kyle was grinning at her. "What is that you're feeling now?"

Regina gaped at him in disbelief. She couldn't understand why he was being so obtuse. "What I'm feeling?! I'm angry! You're pissing me off!"

"So… angry and not worried or scared? You're welcome."

Regina opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Her jaw simply hung open uselessly as she realized Kyle was right. She had been so busy arguing with him that she'd actually forgotten her anxiety over what had happened to Freya. When had he managed to do that?

Kyle pushed her jaw closed with one finger and then grabbed one of her hands. "Come on," he said, tugging her in the direction of the con entrance, "If you're going to be angry, you might as well be angry while we have some fun."

Regina looked down at her hand, wrapped in the protective warmth of Kyle's own, and suddenly felt a surge of panic. Hardly thinking it through, Regina acted instinctively and ripped her hand out of Kyle's grasp.

Kyle instantly stopped walking and turned back to her. His eyes were wide with shock as he looked down at his now empty hand, then back at Regina, then down to his hand again.

"Kyle… I'm sorry, I-I…" Regina stammered. She had immediately regretted her action, but she couldn't help but feel nervous to the point of distraction when she was around Kyle. All stuttered apologies froze in her throat, however, when she saw a shadow pass over Kyle's face. He was now looking as angry as Regina had felt only moments before.

"Say, Regina?" Kyle said softly, his voice low and dangerous, "Answer me something. Why did you come to me?"

"W-What?"

"When you knew your friends needed help and you were scared, you could have gone to hotel security yourself. But you came to me instead. Why?"

"I… I don't know."

"You don't? It wasn't because I was the first person you thought of?"

"I don't… Maybe."

Kyle prowled closer, leaving only a few inches separation between himself and Regina. His eyes seemed to burn behind his glasses, and Regina felt as if she had been pinned into place by the force of his stare.

"Why was I the first person who came to mind, Regina? Is it because you think of me so often?"

"That… You aren't making any sense."

"Aren't I?" Kyle lifted one of his hands and gently caressed Regina's cheek. "Surely I've dominated your thoughts for some time now?"

Heat rose to Regina's face in response to his touch, and she slapped his hand away in outraged embarrassment, "You don't get to _dominate_ any part of me!"

"WHY THE HELL NOT!?" Kyle suddenly bellowed. Regina was so surprised by the outburst that she didn't bother to break away when Kyle grabbed both her arms.

If their presence had been ignored before, the scene they were making now ensured a larger audience. Conventioners and casual hotel guests stopped at stared at the pair. A few might have stepped in to assist Regina, but the tension emanating from the two of them seemed to keep the spectators at bay.

Regina was oblivious to it all. She could only stare at Kyle, who glared back at her intently. His gaze was steady, but she could feel his hands trembling.

"Why do you keep running from me?" Kyle asked, finally broken by desperation. "It's not fair. You came to me first, and then you pulled away. What did I do, Regina?"

Regina couldn't stand his intensity. Tears started to slide down her face, and yet she was glad to see the look of panic on Kyle's face. She hoped he felt terrible for making her cry.

Sensing that she could use her tears to make her escape, she pulled against his grasp, "Let me go, Kyle."

But to her surprise, his grip tightened. He pulled her into a close embrace, heedless still of the murmurs and whistling of their attentive audience. Muttering into her ear he continued to plead with her, "Is it because I'm not Kyoya? I know I've failed to meet your expectations, but I didn't think I needed to do anything special. But if that's what it takes to be with you, Regina, then I'll do it. I'll become the perfect Kyoya just for you. I'll become your favorite host."

Regina couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Kyle just say that he wanted to be with her? _He liked her?_ Regina felt a surge of happiness so strong she thought she might faint, but Kyle seemed to be confused about a lot of things. She would have to set everything straight before she could move forward with him.

"What are you talking about?!" Regina gasped, secretly pleased with the irritated edge to her voice, "Kyoya was never my favorite host!"

Kyle allowed himself to be pushed away by Regina. She held him at arm's length, enjoying the look of confusion on his face. She felt entitled to a little payback for all the teasing he'd put her through.

"What? Yes he is! That's why you've been stuck on me from the beginning!"

"You're just inventing things yourself! Kyoya isn't my favorite host, Tamaki is!"

"T-Tamaki?!"

"That's right! And you don't see me mooning over my own cousin for something as trivial as that, do you?"

"B-But… Then then first time you came to my house unexpectedly?"

"I didn't go there because I liked, Kyoya, you idiot! I went to see you! I like you, stupid! Not some imaginary host!"

Kyle stared at her in bewilderment, then he turned bright red. "Y-You mean… But then why the hell didn't you say anything sooner? Why did you keep pulling away whenever I tried getting close to you?"

"Because you made me so nervous! I couldn't say anything without knowing how you felt!"

"… Me too…"

"What?"

"I get nervous around you, too." Kyle admitted, smiling at Regina shyly. She dropped her hands from his shoulders and he moved closer to her. "Regina, I like you. I want you to be my girlfriend."

Regina smiled up at him. Her eyes were wet with tears again, but for once they didn't appear out of anger or embarrassment. "I like you, too."

"Prove it."

Regina obeyed without hesitation. Standing on the balls of her feet, she threw her arms around Kyle's neck and kissed him on the mouth. He responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

They suddenly became aware of their situation as their enraptured audience began to applaud and whistle. One joker who must have thought he was very funny shouted "Get a room!"

Regina blushed in response, but Kyle merely shouted back "We already have several!" Then he turned his face back to Regina and kissed her again, his lips forming a smile against hers.

"Um… Kyle?"

Regina and Kyle jumped apart as if an electric shock had passed through them both. Thomas had approached and was now looking at them with wide eyes, his expression unreadable.

"Er… Tom. We were just… Um…"

"Oh I don't mind!" Thomas said hastily, "I think it's great and all, you two being together. It's just the cosplay contest will be starting soon, and all the participants are supposed to be gathering now, so… If you're all finished here…"

"The contest!" Regina shrieked, "Is it time already? Kyle, you have to hurry!"

Kyle beamed down at her and grabbed her hand. This time she didn't pull away.

"Sure, lead the way, Tom. Let's go win that money!"


	50. Section 80: The Host Club

Section 80: Flirting with the Enemy

The backstage area of the cosplay competition was a study in colors and cleavage. The ten thousand dollar cash prize had brought the best - and often most scantily clad - cosplayers that the region had to offer. Michael looked at the seasoned cosplay veterans nervously. He spotted only a handful of school uniforms from other animes. Most of the others wore elaborate costumes from RPG's and fantasy manga.

"They won't win, you know."

Michael glanced at Riko and then back to the crowd, trying to ascertain who exactly she was referring to.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Girls like her," Riko said, nodding in the direction of a Rikku cosplayer from Final Fantasy. Her outfit consisted of nothing more than a yellow string bikini top and a narrow strip of fabric around her waist. More material had been used to construct the girl's brilliantly colored scarf than her actual clothes.

"Well, I can't say it's very practical," Michael said reasonably, "But why don't you think she has a chance? Her group looks pretty good."

"It's not just her. It's all the costumes like hers. There's no effort in it. It's not that hard to buy some lingerie and add some accessories. The judges won't be impressed by something so basic. They'll be looking for real craftsmanship with flawless presentation."

Michael watched her expression as she stared down the almost-naked cosplayer disapprovingly before he said, "Or they'll pick the girl with the biggest boobs."

Riko whipped her head to the side and glared at him, but he just laughed, "I'm only joking, Riko! Don't be so serious! I just mean that without knowing the judges personally, you can't predict what will impress them. We just have to hope for the best."

Riko tossed her head and lifted her chin in the air disdainfully, "Well, I happen to have done this a few more times than you. I know what to expect from this competition. There are too many excellent costumes here and too much money on the line for them to choose something based on sex appeal alone."

Michael smiled, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"I am right. So you can stop worrying now."

"… What?"

"You've been watching the competition like you're about to wet your pants."

"I have not!"

"Just admit you're nervous!"

"But I'm not! Really…" Michael sighed, forcing himself to calm down. He couldn't allow himself to get so worked up over her teasing. "I stopped being nervous ages ago."

Riko stared at him, surprised by his poise. "Why? I'm confident about my group's chances, but even I'm feeling a little anxious. What's got you so calm all of a sudden?"

Michael shrugged, "Because I already know we're not going to win."

"What?!"

"Come on, Riko. Look at these guys. Look at yourself!"

Riko looked down at her costume. She was dressed in elegant Victorian-inspired evening wear for her role as Ciel Phantomhive. Lydia would be dressed in an elaborate dress of similar style, escorted down the runway by Riko and followed by the ever snappily-dressed Sebastian. The three of them would certainly present an impressive group, which explained the source of Riko's confidence.

"Your costumes are amazing," Michael continued, "And I can tell a lot of work has been put into them. My uniform can't compare to that! There's no way we're going to win like this, so I'm not worried. I'll just enjoy this experience while it lasts and move on."

Riko shook her head in denial, "Mike, your uniform _is_ impressive. Whoever made it tailored it flawlessly. The other school uniforms look shoddy by comparison. And you guys went to so much effort to embody your characters. The judges will see that and take it into account. You've got just as much chance as me of winning."

Michael grinned at her but seemed unconvinced, "I'd prefer it if you won anyway."

Riko blushed and punched Michael in the shoulder to hide her embarrassment.

"Just shut up… I don't think your team would like it too much if they heard you saying that kind of stuff."

She nodded toward Keith as spoke. He had spotted Michael and Riko while they were chatting and made his way toward them. He was certainly attempting to look casual, but Riko thought his smile was a little forced as he greeted them.

"Hey Mike, hey Riko. What's up?"

"Nothing much." Mike shrugged. "Just discussing the odds we have of winning is all."

"Oh really? And what's the verdict?"

Riko smiled askance at Michael and said, "Well, I believe in you guys. But don't get your hopes up. The Black Butler group is going to win this for sure."

"Ha! Is that right? What, uh… So where is the rest of your group?"

Riko was right. He was trying to appear unconcerned, and failing miserably. His eyes were darting around, scanning the crowd. And with his last question, his voice had cracked a little. Trying to keep up the small talk was clearly putting some strain on him.

"If you're looking for Chris, he's right over there."

Riko pointed in the direction of a particularly large cluster of cosplayers. At that moment Chris was looking very bored, but patiently allowed the other contestants to snap a few pictures of him before the show. Riko noted how Keith's face lit up when he saw him, and she frowned.

"You know… You should be careful."

Keith flinched and looked back at Riko, his expression guilty. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing really. I don't know Chris all that well actually. But I've known his sister for a long time, and she's told me some stories about him. You seem alright, so I just wanted to warn you. Be careful around that guy."

"What kind of stuff did his sister tell you about him?" Keith said, looking like he wasn't really sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Riko just shrugged her shoulders and took one of Michael's hands. As she led Michael away, she glanced over her shoulder and nodded toward Keith. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Keith turned around, not terribly surprised to see that Chris had detached himself from the crowd and was now making his way toward him. The older boy was wearing a lazy smile that made Keith's heart race. He was excited to have to opportunity to talk to him again, but wary as well. After RIko's cryptic warning, he was a little worried about getting too involved with Chris. That, and Henry was loitering not too far away. Keith hated to think what his twin would do if he caught his brother flirting with Chris again.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Keith tried to stamp it out. He was _not_ flirting with Chris. He just thought the guy was interesting is all. Interesting and cool. And talented. And sexy…

"Glad to see you're in one piece."

Keith jumped in surprise. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't realized Chris had already reached his side. He was now leaning casually on the wall next to Keith, so close that their arms were touching. Keith internally scolded himself for getting so distracted by such a simple thing and forced himself to be calm as he asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know? The whole con has been talking about you guys. Something about being harassed by a bunch of yakuza. And someone got thrown off a balcony. I'd wondered if it was you."

"Oh… No, not me. Our friend Freya. But she's alright. Tom caught her and the guys were sent away. And they weren't yakuza. Just some regular guys who were being dicks."

Chris nodded, but otherwise did nothing to show he'd acknowledged this information. He watched Michael and Riko gossip with Lydia a few yards away, then his eyes started to travel over the milling crowd of cosplayers. Keith on the other hand was studying his features. When he wasn't speaking or giving Keith one of his cocky smiles, his expression was so serene. He seemed so comfortable with himself. Keith suddenly thought he'd give anything to feel like that. Was it just because Chris was older? What made him so sure of himself?

"Were you worried?" he asked suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Where you worried when you thought it was me they threw off the balcony?"

Chris hesitated before answering. He turned his attention away from the crowd briefly to observe Keith's intent expression, then resumed his casual analysis of the crowd. Suddenly he smiled. "Not really. If anyone had tried to do something to you, that brother of yours would have surely stepped in."

Keith's stomach did an unpleasant flop when he realized where Chris was looking. Henry had spotted the two of them standing together, and was now glaring daggers at Chris. He was currently engaged in a conversation Thomas and Kyle were having, but it was only a matter of time before he was free to come over and cause problems.

Keith sighed, "I know he means well, but I don't know why he's acting like this."

"He probably just doesn't trust me," Chris said with a grin. He offered Henry a little wave that only made Henry clench his fists.

"Is there some reason he shouldn't trust you?"

Keith was only teasing, but Chris abruptly turned his full attention toward him. He usually seemed slightly distracted, even when talking to Keith, but now it seemed that every particle of his thoughts had been directed to the study of the boy in front of him. Keith felt a shiver run up his spine and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. What did such an intense look mean coming from someone like Chris? It was true that Keith barely knew him at all. Had he said something he shouldn't have?

Just as Keith was starting to think he really would like his brother to interfere after all, Chris suddenly spoke.

"Seventeen…" he mused quietly, then his distant grin suddenly bloomed into a bright smile. "Nope! He has nothing to worry about! You're perfectly safe for now!"

Keith tried to return his smile, but something about the unusually cheerful expression worried him more than the usual crooked smirk.

_"For now…?"_ he thought to himself, but then he immediately put it out of his mind. He suddenly remembered that he had another question to ask.

"Hey… Do you know what a yaoi paddle is used for?"

Chris glanced at him, then did a double-take. "… You… Why would you ask me something like that?"

Keith shrugged. He was determined to maintain his composure, and anyway he had nothing to be embarrassed about. It was just a simple question.

"A friend of mine gave one to me earlier. He had used it to beat our team leader, then he handed it to me and said I'd get more use out of it than him. I just wondered what he meant by that is all."

"You've really never seen one before? Jeez, even I've heard of them."

"Well, do you know what they're used for or not?"

Chris nodded. "They're for punishing guys like you," he said gravely.

Keith grimaced at him, "Ha ha. You're very funny."

"No, I'm serious."

"I thought only little kids got spanked?"

"You're young… You still have a lot to learn."

"So teach me."

Keith said it before considering the implications of his words. Surprised by his own boldness, he glanced at Chris. The older boy was staring at him in some surprise, but he seemed impressed.

"Are you propositioning me?"

Lydia popped up next to Chris before Keith could respond. She grabbed her brother by the arm with both hands and started to pull him away.

"Enough of your predation! The contest is about to start!"

Chris rolled his eyes but allowed himself to be dragged away. "Looks like we're on before you," he called over his shoulder, "Good luck."

"You too!" Keith shouted back, a few seconds too late. Chris had already turned his attention to Lydia and Riko. Lydia had started barking a few last minute instructions while the MC's voice boomed over the microphone, "KANA-KOOOOOON!"

Keith's stomach did another flip when he heard the screams and cheers from the audience. "ARE YOU READY FOR SOME COSPLAY!?" the MC shouted again. Feeling slightly lightheaded, Keith turned his back on the cacophony which erupted anew from the audience. He went to join Thomas and the others.

"It sounds like they've got the whole convention out there."

"Well, yeah. As many people as they could fit, I imagine." Thomas said happily.

Tyler laughed and clapped Keith on the back roughly, "Don't tell me you've got stage fright?"

"Don't worry, Keith!" Thomas said encouragingly, "You and Henry have got to be two of the most popular cosplayers here! You could fall on your face and no one would care. In fact, maybe you should fall on your face! Then Hikaru could come to your rescue and we'd have an excuse to use the brotherly love tactic in front of the whole audience! It would be great!"

"Uh, yeah great plan and all, but I think I'll just stick to the routine." Keith tried to catch his brother's eye, hoping to see if Henry found Thomas's suggestion as absurd as he did. But Henry was still staring in the Chris's direction, glaring as if his life depended on it. Keith rolled his eyes and turned to talk to address Thomas again. "Besides, I don't think it's me you have to worry about getting stage fright."

Keith had noticed Freya's face turn from bright red, to deathly pale, to sickly green all in a matter of seconds. Thomas picked up on his meaning immediately and gripped one of Freya's hands tightly.

"Freya… You're going to do just fine. It'll be just as we've practiced, okay?"

"U-Uh… Yeah. Okay."

Thomas couldn't help but smile at her nervousness. She was visibly shaking, and she was gripping his hand so tightly he thought he might lose circulation. Leaning close to her so he could speak without being overheard, he said, "The only person you have to impress is me, and I already think you're wonderful."

Freya offered him a nervous smile and gripped his hand harder in response. Then with her free hand, she suddenly reached out and grabbed onto Tyler's jacket sleeve. She pulled on it so hard that he nearly lost his balance and was forced to bend down next to her, his head on level with hers.

"Do not let me do anything stupid out there." Freya said to him in earnest.

Tyler blinked away his surprise and laughed loudly, "You got it! Count on me!"

Thomas watched them curiously for a few seconds, but the time to make speculations had run out. The show was about to begin.


	51. Section 81: The Host Club

Section 81: Showtime

A big screen TV had been set up backstage for the convenience of the contestants. A camera placed at the end of the runway was able to transmit a live image of the contest, so even the cosplayers waiting in line had a good view of the various performances their competition was putting on.

A tight knot had already formed around the screen. After seeing the costumes of their opponents, many people were interested to see how their fellows presented themselves onstage. And yet there were some people who desired nothing of the sort. They purposely avoided looking at the television, afraid that watching the competition in action would only make them more nervous.

Freya was in this latter group. As Thomas and Tyler tried to pull her toward the screen, she tugged just as hard in the opposite direction.

"No… guys…. I really don't want to see…"

"But Freya! They'll be skits and things to watch as well as the costumes! Don't you want to see it with the rest of us?"

"Not particularly."

"But you'll really be missing out on one of the best aspects of the convention!"

"I'm sorry, Tom! But I don't care! Isn't it enough that I'm participating with you guys? Don't make me watch this too!"

"Is it the crowd that makes you nervous?" Tyler asked. He had turned his head to watch the image on the screen. Not only were the runway and main stage clearly visible, but the waving hands and flashing cameras of the crowd could be seen in abundance as well.

Freya glanced at the screen briefly before looking away again with a slight shudder. She nodded mutely.

Tyler redoubled his efforts to drag her toward the TV. "Then that's all the more reason to watch! Just look! Everyone else is nervous when they go out too, but the crowd is really positive! You don't have to be scared of them, Freya! No one's gonna judge you!"

"Well, well… What have we here, Suzuran?"

"It looks like those dreadful boys are harassing another maiden, Benibara."

Thomas winced and turned to face the St. Roberia girls. As expected, they were looking at him with such a high level of disdain that Thomas thought the weight of it would push him right through the floor.

Before he had a chance to think of an appropriate greeting, a loud groan cut through their confrontation.

"Oh no!" Henry moaned, spotting the Zuka Club and immediately heading over, "Not you guys again!"

Bianca, the Benio Amakusa cosplayer, glared at him but decided to ignore the impertinence. She addressed Thomas instead. "Where's Hilary? We thought you had stolen her from us so you could use her in your own group."

"H-Hilary would never do that," Thomas said, searching for his usual confidence.

Henry nodded in stubborn agreement, "Yeah, she said that she couldn't betray you guys by performing with us."

"She betrayed us by abandoning our group at the last minute!" Bianca snarled.

The Chizuru Maihara cosplayer laid a calming hand on her arm and added, "But it doesn't matter. We intend to compete even if it's just the two of us. I'm sure even the pair of us will be an easy match for the likes of you."

Bianca seemed to have regained her composure. Speaking in the deep, melodious voice of her character, she said, "That's right. Consider us your biggest competition. We'll be able to see who the crowd favors more. A bunch of strutting peacocks like yourselves…"

"Or true performers like Benibara and I," the long-haired Suzuran finished.

Henry scoffed, "Our competition? Call yourselves that if you want, but I gotta say this doesn't seem like much of a challenge."

"To be honest I'm just going to focus on not tripping over my own feet," Freya suddenly said, drawing all eyes to her. "I mean, if you guys are trying to pick a fight, can you leave me out of it? I really just don't want to mess up our routine."

Bianca smirked, "Of course, little kitten. You won't have the slightest thing to worry about. Just do your best. When your group fails, it will be because of your _prince's _poor leadership. Not because of anything you do."

She turned on her heel after this little speech and began to sashay away. Suzuran smiled over her shoulder as she too prepared to make her exit. "Good luck. You'll need it."

Freya watched them go with a quizzical frown. "Correct me if I'm wrong," she said to no one in particular, "But did that girl just call me a kitten?"

Tyler nodded, "Yeah, talk about weird. I always thought you looked like a raccoon."

"Hey! Hey, Tyler! Get over here! Riko's group is on!" Mike started shouting from the group crowded around the TV. Tyler grabbed Freya's hand and had dragged her to the screen before she could think to stop him.

"Look, Freya! Don't they look great?"

Freya reluctantly looked at the huge image and had to admit that they did. Riko, the spitting image of Ciel Phantomhive, was strolling down the runway, her friend Lydia on her arm. Thomas stood behind Freya and watched the same scene with a sense of awe. They looked as if they had stepped right out of the anime.

"They're amazing," he said just as Chris reached the end of the runway. Still managing to look bored under the spotlight and with so many fans cheering, he dropped into a fighting stance and posed for a few pictures. Thomas noted the kitchen knives and forks clutched between his fingers and admired their eye for detail.

"Tom?" Kyle broke through Thomas's concentration, grabbing him by the arm, "Hey, we'll be up soon. We have to get into position."

"Oh… Right!" Thomas spared one last glance for the screen, now showing the Black Butler group as they took a final bow together and exited the stage. He smiled; his old enthusiasm back in place. "Let's show them what we can do!"

Together, Kyle and Thomas gathered their group. In no time at all, they were next up in line, waiting in the wings for a quick comedy skit to clear the stage.

"This is it!" Thomas said to his Host Club, "The moment we've been planning for all these months! Don't worry about a thing; it'll be just like we rehearsed."

"Host Club?" a man wearing a headset and a Kana-Kon staff shirt asked. "You're on."

Thomas nodded at him, "Okay, ready Freya?"

But Freya looked like she was either going to faint or be sick. "W-Wait you guys, I don't know if I can…"

""It's too late to turn back now!"" The twins sang as they each placed their hands on her shoulders. ""You can do it!""

They shoved Freya out toward center stage just as the speakers blasted the opening song of the Ouran anime.

"_KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE!"_

The crowd roared in approval as fans instantly recognized the Ouran uniform. Freya, alone on stage for the moment, could only stare at the mass of smiling faces in a daze. Luckily, she wasn't alone for long. Thomas was the next to prance on stage, and it was made abundantly clear just how many girls he had managed to charm earlier by the sound of their screaming adoration. Thomas waved to them all regally, then took Freya by the hand, winked at her to bolster her courage, and began to lead her down the long runway.

"_SO IS THIS LOVE OR HATE? WE'LL SEE…"_

As the song continued, Kyle led the others onto the stage. Bowing politely toward the judges table, he was closely followed by the twins who walked down the runway with their arms linked. Tyler came last, with Michael balanced carefully on his shoulders.

Thomas waited at the end of the runway for the others to join him, striking a few poses for the benefit of his fans. Meanwhile, Freya had broken away from him, just as they'd planned before, and ran back down the narrow path to the main stage, careful so she wouldn't knock the others over along the way.

"_MAYBE YOU'RE MY LOVE!"_

Freya stopped at center stage with a sigh and turned around just in time to grab onto Michael. Freed from his perch atop Tyler, Michael had played his part well by running into Freya's arms happily, spinning around with her once, and releasing her only to prance a few paces away. The twins then immediately followed, approaching her from either side and taking her each of her hands with perfect synchrony. They too twirled her about in a complicated pirouette before moving into position.

Kyle was prompt with his portion as well. Approaching Freya, he took her hand gallantly and dropped to one knee for the briefest of moments, then he was up again and moving away, making room for Tyler to swoop in and do nothing more than tousle Freya's hair a bit.

Tyler seemed unable to resist himself a bit of improvisation. With the impulsiveness characteristic of his own personality, he suddenly dipped down and kissed Freya lightly on the cheek. The crowd squealed in appreciation, but Freya was worried lest he throw their whole tempo off. Or even worse, her face would be glowing such a brilliant shade of red that she'd be worthy of guiding Santa's sleigh on a foggy night.

She had nothing to worry about, however. Thomas was quick with his pacing as well, and soon he stood before Freya, offering her a warm smile of encouragement and a red rose which surely must have made her own face seem whiter by comparison. She still couldn't figure out how Thomas managed to produce roses like this seemingly out of nowhere, but she accepted it nonetheless and prepared herself for their next move.

The song was reaching its close, and the Host Club used their last few minutes to pander a little more to the crowd and move into their final poses. Thomas was dead center with Freya and Michael flanking his sides. The twins were on either side of them, their postures still a perfect mirror to each other, despite the distance now between them. That left Kyle and Mori to form the ends of their line. Each member of their group looked effortlessly natural in their respective poses, but there was nothing casual about their position. Thomas had painstakingly planned the whole routine to recreate the animation in the opening sequence, and any diehard fan would recognize this final pose easily. They were the Host Club, in all their glory.

The audience applauded and cheered their approval at the end of the song. Some girls were crying out, pledging their unending devotion to their favorite hosts as if they were rock stars instead of cosplayers. The time to bask in their popularity was short, however, as they had to hustle off stage to make room for the next group.

But the adrenaline brought on by their performance would not leave as easily as they had. Back stage, their whole group was elated. Even Freya was laughing and hugging with the rest of them.

"That was amazing!" Thomas shouted, not bothering to be quiet since their cheers wouldn't be heard over the noise of the contest anyway, "We did it! We really did it!"

"Let's see the Zuka Club mock us now!" Henry crowed, pumping his fist into the air.

Keith laughed as he glomped his own brother. "We might actually win this thing!"

Riko ran to join them, flinging herself at Michael and wrapping her arms around him. "You guys were awesome!" she shouted into his ear. Michael just laughed in response, "But not as good as your group."

"Are you kidding? We didn't put on a performance like that! It was so cool, you guys were just like the Host Club!"

Thomas smiled at the two of them, then looked round at the smiling faces of his friends.

"That's because we are," he said. "We are the Host Club!"


	52. Sections 82&83: The Host Club

Section 82: The Champions

"Ladies and Gentleman, ninjas and catgirls… The judges have made their final decisions!"

While the crowd out front screamed in excitement, the contestants of Kana-Kon's cosplay contest waited backstage with baited breath. Freya was no longer afraid of the crowd, and she watched the big screen with all the others. The MC was pacing the stage, drawing out the suspense and milking the audience for every cheer they were worth. He wasn't alone. The panel of judges had joined him, holding some prize or other for the various awards to be won. They represented special guests of the convention – voice actors and industry big-wigs that Freya had never heard of before.

She glanced to her left where Thomas stood. He had been unusually silent since the last performers had left the stage and the judges broke for deliberation. Now he seemed transfixed by the MC's pacing on the screen. Only his eyes moved as he watched the figure march back and forth. Freya pinched his arm to get his attention and smiled.

"Now's who's nervous? Don't worry. Whatever happens, you did a great job."

Thomas smiled at her, but as the MC accepted a sheet of paper from one of the judges and started to speak again, his eyes snapped back to the screen.

"Alright everyone! The winners…" Thomas inhaled sharply through clinched teeth. "… The winners of the best craftsmanship award…!"

Thomas released the breath he had been holding in and gently laughed at his own nervousness. "Of course," he said to himself, "They'll announce the other prizes before they get to the best costumed group."

He and the others watched as a group of XXXholic cosplayers took the prize for Best Craftsmanship. Various other awards followed, ranging from Best Use of Prop to Most Unexpected Pairing. Michael cheered louder than anyone when a group of Pokemon cosplayers took the prize for Best Skit – their Pikachu had rolled onto stage in a giant pokeball. Finally, the awards for Best First-Time Cosplay and Most Moe had been handed out, and a pair of Gundam cosplayers had taken the title of Best Use of Cardboard Boxes.

By the time a Yami cosplayer from Yu-Gi-Oh! accepted the prize for Best Individual Costume, the atmosphere backstage was getting pretty tense. The prize for the best individual costume was itself a considerable honor, but it was still nothing compared to the cash prize of Best Costumed Group. It couldn't be much longer now. The other awards were all taken care of. Surely the next award would be…

"AND NOW, THE TIME HAS COME! THE WINNERS OF THE BEST COSTUMED GROUP AND A GRAND PRIZE OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!"

The audience was screaming and stamping their feet, as impatient to know the result as the anxious contestants backstage. As the MC allowed to the anticipation to build, Thomas exchanged a look with each member of his group. They were all looking to him, their leader, smiling with excitement. He couldn't help but smile back in spite of the unpleasant knots in his stomach.

"AND THE WINNER IS… BLACK BUTLER!"

Lydia screamed and hugged Riko fiercely, forcing her friend to jump up and down with her. Riko was wide-eyed with surprise, but she was clearly pleased. She reached out with one hand to Michael, and he gripped it in both of his own. Shaking her hand up and down, he grinned at her. There wasn't a trace of bitterness or disappointment in his voice as he said, "I knew it! I knew you would win!"

Chris didn't even move at first. He simply watched his sister jump around excitedly, disbelief written all over his face. "I don't f***ing believe it," he finally managed to say. Keith beamed at him and punched him in the shoulder. "Not such a stupid pastime now, huh? Congratulations!"

Thomas was the only one not shouting and clapping with the rest of them. He watched the other cosplayers approach Riko's group with their praise and congratulations, but he seemed unable to join in the fun.

Freya lightly tugged on his sleeve. "Tom," she said and waited until he'd turned his face to her, "Are you okay?"

Thomas studied her face as if he didn't recognize her at first. Then he closed his eyes and bowed his head, shaking it slowly. When he straightened up again, he was able to face Riko's group with a smile and say happily, "Hey you guys! What are you waiting for? Go collect your prize!"

He and the rest of the contestants watched from the wings as Lydia and the others accepted a comically large check with their prize money. Chris promptly tried to take it from her, to which she immediately stomped on one of his feet and stuck her tongue out at him.

Thomas clapped and laughed along with the others as they bickered on stage and Riko sought to control them both. He was so distracted he hadn't even noticed Kyle approaching him until his best friend's arm was around his shoulders.

"How are you holding up, Tom?"

"Fine. I'm really fine, Kyle. I think the right people won."

"Hm. Well, I suppose so long as the Zuka Club didn't win anything, I'm happy too."

Onstage, one of the judges approached the MC and muttered something into his ear. As the judge stepped back in place, the MC smiled and lifted the microphone to his lips once again.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! That's the last of the judges' choices! Let's have another round of applause for all our contestants!"

He stopped to allow a suitable amount of clapping to ensue before lifting the microphone again.

"But the show isn't over yet! WE HAVE ONE FINAL AWARD TO HAND OUT!"

Thomas and Kyle looked at each other, then out toward the stage.

""What?""

"THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! We asked YOU ALL for your votes during the show, and those results have just been tallied! IT'S TIME TO ANNOUNCE THE FAN FAVORITE!"

Thomas and Kyle stared stupidly at the MC, then they turned to look at one another. Slowly, smiles spread across their faces.

"Fan…?"

"… Favorite?"

Michael pushed his way between them, staring out on stage where Riko's group was still standing. Riko had turned to look toward him, her eyes wide and hopeful.

"No… way…." Michael said, peeking around the edge of the stage to view the restless audience. "You don't think…?"

"And the winner of this year's Fan Favorite Award and free VIP admission to next year's Kana-Kon goes to… THE OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB!"

The crowd jumped to its feet, roaring their approval and calling out the hosts' names. Riko's group was clapping enthusiastically along with the judges, and the contestants backstage hurried to swarm the winners, offering congratulatory slaps on the back and handshakes.

Thomas was elated. He turned to look for the rest of his group and saw Henry and Keith not far away. They seemed to be in a state of shock, until Henry broke into a smile and threw his hands into the air. "FAN FAVORITE!? HELL YEAH!"

The twins and Tyler all fell on Thomas, lifting him into the air without warning and carrying him out on stage. Freya, Kyle, and Michael all followed, stupid grins semi-permanently attached to their faces. Freya's stage fright seemed completely cured. She joined the others for a final strut down the runway, reaching out to the fans who had given them this honor.

And not one of them really cared that they hadn't won any prize money.

* * *

Section 83: After Party

"So how's it feel to be ten thousand dollars richer?"

Chris shook his head, "If you think I'm going to see even a penny of that money, you're dumber than you look. My parents'll throw it all into a savings account for Lydia's college and tell me to get a job."

Keith chuckled. He was feeling unusually comfortable around Chris, despite the fact that they were alone and seated on the bed he and Henry had shared the past couple nights. Maybe he was just feeling tired. It was well after midnight, but the Host Club had invited Riko's group to their room for a late-night celebration, and it didn't seem like their energy was going to go down any time soon. That could also explain why he felt so at ease. He could hear the noise his friends were making through the door connecting their two rooms. Knowing other people were close comforted him, since he still wasn't sure about Chris.

"Both your sister and Riko say you're dangerous," Keith said sleepily, speaking aloud the direction his thoughts had turned.

Chris didn't seem surprised. "What did they tell you?"

"Nothing really. They seemed to think you would hurt me or something. So are you dangerous?"

"… No."

"Should I stay away from you?"

"If you want to."

He sounded completely unconcerned. Keith sighed and allowed himself to fall back onto the comforter. "I don't," he said. "I don't want to stay away."

Chris looked over his shoulder at him, the same inscrutable smile as always on his face. Keith peered back at him through half-closed eyes and smiled back.

Their peace was disrupted when the door leading to the room next door burst open with a loud BANG! Keith shot up to his feet in an instant, heart hammering from the shock but somehow unsurprised to see Henry glowering at him.

"We were just talking!" Keith blurted before Henry had a chance to speak. He was telling the complete truth, of course, but he couldn't help the guilty tone in his voice. So what if he had been hoping for more? That was none of Henry's business.

"In the dark? In a hotel room by yourselves?!" Henry asked, his points also valid. Anyone would make the same assumptions that were running through his head. He directed his glare toward Chris. "How long have you been in here by yourselves?"

Chris seemed unable to stop himself from baiting Henry. "Oho, so you don't even know that much," he said. "Sounds like someone needs to keep a better eye on his brother."

"Henry, you're overreacting. I can take care of myself."

"Are you sure?" Henry asked. Both his tone and expression were openly hostile. He continued to stare down Chris, as if reluctant to let him out of his sight for even a second.

When Chris spoke again, it was in a quiet voice. All traces of teasing had disappeared. "Henry, I wouldn't hurt your brother. I won't."

Keith glanced back and forth between his brother and his crush, not sure if he should break the silence forming between them. Feeling slightly stupid, he realized that they had never been properly introduced. It was a little late for that now. Maybe Henry would always hate Chris.

"Henry…" Keith said hesitantly, but the rest of his words froze in this throat. There was just so much he wanted to say, but he couldn't have this conversation in front of Chris with all their friends in the next room.

Instead, Keith tried to convey with a look everything he was thinking. Using that silent connection that had always existed between himself and his brother, Keith tried to make Henry understand that slipping into the empty room had been his idea, that Chris hadn't tried to make the slightest move, hadn't even indicated that he might be interested in Keith like that. And he felt unbearably sad suddenly that maybe Henry was hostile not because he disapproved of Chris, but because he disapproved of Keith.

Henry sighed heavily. His shoulders drooped and he dropped his head. Some portion of Keith's wordless pleading seemed to have got through to him. "Okay, okay… I overreacted. You're right."

He reached for his twin and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Jeez, could you try not to scare me, though? Seriously, surprise me with something like this again and I might just kill the guy."

Keith laughed with relief and patted his brother on the back. "Okay. No more surprises. I promise."

Henry released him and rounded on Chris. "I still don't trust you!" he declared. "But… Maybe I can get used to you… Just watch your step, buddy."

"Sure thing, chief." Chris said with an ironic salute.

Henry continued to watch him sullenly, but when he grabbed Keith by the shoulder to pull him back to the party, he nodded toward Chris as well.

"Come on, then. Alone time is over. Come be sociable."

Chris groaned, "Always being sociable. You sound like my parents."

But he stood and followed them through the door.

Keith hadn't been the only one desirous of a little alone time. Kyle kept trying to steal kisses from Regina, but she wasn't having any of it.

"NO PDA!" she shouted after the fifth attempt.

"You mean you're finally my girlfriend and I can't even kiss you?"

"Not in public, stupid! And certainly not where my cousin and little brother can see us!"

"They're not looking…"

Regina shoved a pillow into his face, "Stop it, idiot!"

"Alright! I give up!" Kyle cried, his voice muffled by the pillow. Once Regina had removed the obstruction, he brazenly wrapped his arms around her and said, "You know, for a girl who had no problem kissing me in front of a crowd earlier, you're surprisingly shy."

Tyler interrupted them suddenly by springing onto the bed they shared, "HEY KYLE!"

"Ah! What? What is it?"

"This all-inclusive admission thing for next year. Is that for everybody?"

"Everyone in our cosplay group, yes."

Tyler gave this considerable thought, and then he said, "Well, there's no hope for it, I guess. There'll be no excuses for Tom next year. I'll just have to come again.

Kyle extended one of his legs to where Tyler lay at the end of the bed, kicking him lightly in the side. "Why, Tyler! Are you actually volunteering for next year's group?"

"Hey now! If you're mean to me, I can always join someone else's group. No one said I needed to be a part of yours."

"Oh please," Regina chimed in, "Who else would you go with? I know you can't make your own costume."

"Zuka Club?" Hilary suggested, overhearing their conversation.

Henry laughed, "Oh yeah that's brilliant. Speaking of, anyone see their faces when we were made fan favorite? It was so… excellent. I wish I'd gotten a picture.

"I got it for you!" Hilary sang triumphantly, "I cornered them after the contest and asked what they thought of your victory. I snapped a picture right after I asked. Their expressions were like nothing I've ever seen."

Henry smiled at her adoringly, "You're amazing."

Hilary blushed and said nothing.

Thomas and Freya had little to add to the conversation. Mostly because Freya had seized the opportunity to talk to Thomas alone. She had led him into the room recently vacated by Keith and Chris.

Freya switched on the light and immediately moved toward her suitcase. As she began rifling through her things, Thomas took a seat on the bed nearest her and asked with a tired yawn, "So what did you want to talk about?"

Freya turned and handed Thomas a ridiculously large heart-shaped box of chocolate. Thomas took it without thinking, then stared at it stupidly as if he wasn't sure how such an object got there in the first place. It was a miracle it had even fit into Freya's luggage, the thing was so enormous.

"I bought it when they went on sale after Valentine's Day." Freya said, as if this explained everything, "They should still be good."

"I'm… I'm sure they're fine," Thomas said, certain he had fallen asleep and was simply dreaming up such a bizarre scenario. "But… why are you giving me Valentine's chocolate?"

"For White Day."

When Thomas continued to stare at her blankly, Freya elaborated, "Remember when you gave me flowers on Valentine's Day? You told me about the White Day thing and I thought I should get you something. I'm sorry it's a little late, but there was no time to give it to you all day. And then we were so busy even after the cosplay contest… Well, I just hope you like them."

"… Yes. It's great, Freya. Thank you for remembering."

Freya beamed at him – one of her rarely seen wide smiles. "No problem! I'm glad you like it!"

She stood, patted Thomas on the shoulder, and returned to the party with no more ado. Thomas, however, remained where he'd sat, staring at the red, heart-shaped package. He had a slight twisting feeling in his stomach that wasn't entirely unpleasant, and for the first time, he thought he had a name for this feeling.


	53. Sections 84&85: Tamaki

Author's Note: It's the penultimate chapter, folks! I still can't believe it's progressed this far. Don't forget to vote for your favorite character! Results of the poll to be posted at the end of the story.

Thanks for reading. ~ jinxauthor

* * *

Section 84: All the Wrong Places

After a few morning panels and several last-minute photo sessions with fangirls, it was time to leave the con. The Michael had finished his packing early and was still running around with Riko. Thomas and Kyle lingered in the hotel room, slowly going over the whole area to make sure they weren't forgetting anything.

Or at least Kyle was. Thomas seemed to have other things on his mind.

After heaving what must have been the fiftieth sigh that morning, Thomas was finally acknowledged by his friend.

"Either tell me what it is that's bothering you, or kindly shut up. I've had enough of that sad sigh."

Thomas nearly sighed again, but caught himself just in time. Better to form these feelings into words than risk Kyle's wrath. "Kyle," he began with considerable hesitation, "I… I think I'm in love with Freya."

That got Kyle's attention. He looked up from his work and said, "Woah, seriously?"

"Yes… I mean, I think so."

"With Freya? Are you sure?"

"I don't know. She just makes me feel… It's hard to explain."

"It's okay, I know the feeling," Kyle said, his mind on Regina. "Does she make you incredibly frustrated, so much that you feel it would be better to just stay away from her, but then the thought of never seeing her again feels like someone just ripped out your heart and stomped on it with a pair of very heavy shoes?"

"What? No! I've never felt like that with Freya! It's different… It's like when I'm with her… I just feel very happy. Not, like, _happy happy joy joy_ but… content. Peaceful, even. And I think… I just want to protect her or something."

Kyle watched Thomas's expression carefully, then finally let out a sigh of his own. "Sounds like she got you pretty bad. Are you going to tell her how you feel?"

Thomas's head snapped up from where he had been staring at his feet listlessly. "Do you think I should?"

"Are you going to keep sighing like a girl if you don't?"

As if in answer, Thomas sighed again. Kyle threw his hands in the air. "Tell her! Just do it, you'll feel better once you do!"

Thomas thought about it for only a second, then he nodded, "Okay, can you take care of the rest of this?"

"Are you going to tell her _now_?"

"Of course. We go to different schools. If I don't tell her now, I don't know when I'll have another opportunity. Can you tell me which room is Regina's?"

He automatically assumed that Kyle would have this information, without stopping to wonder how he had attained it. Naturally, Kyle knew exactly what he wanted to know, and soon Thomas was on his way to the room Freya shared with Regina and her friends.

"Oh, hey Tom." Freya said casually once she'd opened the door. "Something I can help you with?"

Thomas could clearly see over her shoulder into the room beyond. Her bag was lying out on one of the beds and there were signs that she'd already begun packing. Finding that he was blushing slightly under her direct stare, Thomas turned to this topic to deflect some of the tension.

"I… Just wanted to make sure packing was going okay for you."

"Oh yeah. I'm just about done I think."

"Really?" Thomas laughed nervously. "I've barely even started."

"That so? You should probably get started then. I think we have to check out soon."

"Oh I'm sure Kyle will take care of it." Thomas said, not bothering to specify if this meant Kyle would pack for him or handle the hotel staff. Freya didn't ask. "Do you… need any help?"

"No, I think I've got it."

An uncomfortable silence ensued while the pair looked at each other. Thomas was at a loss for words. He was beginning to regret whatever stupid impulse had brought him there in the first place. Freya's expression was as inscrutable as always. He had no way of knowing what she was thinking. Could she guess what had brought him there?

Abruptly, Freya turned toward the bed. Thomas watched as she carefully lifted her blue Ouran blazer and held it out to him. "Did you want this back?"

"Oh no! That's yours. I made it for you."

Freya smiled at him. She smiled so rarely that Thomas had grown to treasure such moments, and she was smiling now with real warmth to her expression. He felt a blush rising to his cheeks again.

"Thanks. Did you need something else?"

Somewhat encouraged by the smile, Thomas was emboldened enough to blurt, "The thing is… I feel… What I mean to say, Freya, is that I think I've always…" He faltered again. He may have felt braver than before but even he was unsure of what he really wanted to say to her.

"Since I first met you," he tried again, "I think I've always lo…"

"I'll stop you there, Tom," Freya interrupted suddenly, "I think I know what you're going to say and I think you have the wrong person."

Thomas was flabbergasted, "W-What? No, Freya what I want to say is…"

"I know. But you're wrong." Freya's tone was calm, even conversational. She was looking at Thomas with her usual steady gaze, exuding an air of downright reasonableness. "You don't feel that way about me. You only think you do because you think of me as Haruhi. But I'm not. And you're not Tamaki, you're Tom. And I think if you _really_ consider it, you'll find that you actually like someone else."

"Someone… else?" Thomas asked. He was too blindsided to understand what Freya was trying to tell him. Her words had seemed ridiculous to him at first. Of course he knew who he really was! But was it possible that he had gotten too caught up in his role? And if that were the case, then who…?

"Who are you talking about?"

Freya smiled at him again. He thought suddenly that she did look a lot like Haruhi. Maybe he was just confused.

"I don't think I need to tell you, Tom," she said enigmatically, "Just think about the person closest to you."

Thomas felt his embarrassment subside. He felt calmer all of a sudden, and he realized that he was looking at Freya for the first time as the girl she was, not the host he wanted her to be. He smiled back at her, confident in the knowledge that she was a good friend after all, but that was as far as it went. There would never be any romantic feeling between them.

"Now what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Just that…. I'm happy you came along with us Freya."

"Thanks, Tom. It was a lot of fun."

"I need to go talk to someone else now."

"So what are you standing around for?"

He left. Distantly he heard Freya close the door behind him, but he couldn't attend to it. His feet were moving on their own, he hadn't a care as to where they might take him. He was deep in thought, thankful that Freya had treated him so kindly but still confused by her words. He knew she was right, that he was really fond of someone else, but he couldn't think of who it might be."

"Someone close to me…" Thomas thought aloud. Someone who was always by his side, who would always be there for him. Someone who knew all of his strengths and weaknesses and cared about him in spite of it all. Thomas had a lot of friends, but there were few who fit that description. Then suddenly he knew.

He hadn't realized that he'd started running. Instinct must have given him the answer, or perhaps it was love's wings speeding him on. All he knew was that he was racing through the hotel, speeding past the few convention goers who had yet to check out. He probably would have run into the door if it hadn't been left open. Instead, he rushed right past it and into the arms of the person who knew him better than anyone.

"Kyle!" he gasped, "I… I love you!"

Kyle shoved him to the ground in a decidedly un-romantic way. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded in a cold voice.

Tears sprang to Thomas's eyes, "Kyle… I love you."

"I heard you the first time, idiot! So what new insanity is this? If it has anything to do with that yaoi paddle, then I regret ever hitting you with it!"

"That's not it, Kyle… I just realized that I lo…"

"If you say it one more time, I'm punching you in the face."

"But why?!"

"Because you don't love me, you imbecile! Weren't you just going to confess to Freya?"

"Well… yes! But then I talked to her and she said I was just confused by our Host Club roles."

Kyle hummed thoughtfully. "Smart girl," he said.

"Well, she also said that there _was _someone I love…"

"And you seriously thought she was talking about me? You really are confused."

"Um, well…" Thomas hesitated. It did seem a little ridiculous now. "You were the first person I thought of."

Kyle sighed and sat down on the bed near Thomas, who was still sprawled out on the floor. He reached out and ruffled Thomas's blond hair in the same familiar way Thomas usually ruffled his. "Will you use the brain you have in that thick skull of yours? I may be your best friend, but Freya wasn't talking about me. She must have been talking about Hilary."

"Hilary…" Thomas repeated. Just the sound of her name seemed to make his heart beat faster. He felt both happy and sad at the same time. In his mind's eye he could see her smile. His sweet, kind, lovely…

"Hilary!" he said again and scrambled to his feet.

This time he didn't even linger long enough to apologize to Kyle, which was just as well because Kyle would rather just forget about the whole incident. For his part, Thomas had already forgotten everything but Hilary. He ran through the halls once again, back in the direction he had just come from moments before. This time he really did run right into the door and after catching his breath he was able to knock with some composure.

But it was not Hilary who opened the door. Henry took one look at Thomas and smirked.

"Too late milord."

* * *

Section 85: Unmasking

After stumbling once or twice, Thomas finally gave up on walking. He slid down to the floor and rested his back against the wall, allowing his head to fall down to his chest. Once he was fairly certain he had achieved a suitable melancholy pose, he sighed heavily.

"She loves Henry."

This was absurd, of course. Hilary had merely agreed to date Henry in place of Thomas, that was all. But the circumstances did amount to her choosing Henry over himself, and that was as good as losing her forever, as far as Thomas was concerned.

"I'm sorry, Tom," Hilary had said. There had been genuine empathy in her eyes, perhaps even a little regret… No, if it were regret, it was only for the fact he hadn't realized his feelings sooner.

"It's not that I don't like you, but I wasn't going to wait forever for you to notice me. And Henry has been so nice… I just hope we can always be friends."

"So that's it then," Thomas muttered to himself as he recollected the conversation, "I've been friend-zoned."

_"Hello, Mr. Suoh."_

Thomas flinched at the sound of the deep voice. Shaking slightly from fear and surprise, Thomas looked up in to the face of Bereznoff.

"Hello Nekozawa," Thomas said sadly, speaking not to the puppet but to the person holding it. "But it's not Suoh anymore. I'm just Tom Smith again."

There was a pause in which Thomas's head lolled back to his chest and the Nekozawa cosplayer merely stood before him in silence. Thomas sort of hoped he would just leave him be, but then again, misery loves company.

The pause was abruptly broken by a high, clear voice. "So that's your real name, huh?"

It took Thomas a few seconds to realize this voice belonged to the same Nekozawa character as before, and during that time she – for it was unmistakably the voice of a girl – plopped to the floor next to him.

"I don't want the con to be over," she was saying to Thomas. She pulled the hood of her cloak away from her face and tugged the black wig from her head. White-blond hair tumbled down around her cheeks as she shook it out. For the first time Thomas could see her clear blue eyes as she turned to face him with a shy smile. "But I guess since it is," she continued, "Then you can just call me Nicole."

"You were a girl this whole time!?" Thomas exclaimed, scuttling back from her in surprise.

She just laughed. "Uh, well yeah! Was my disguise really that good?"

"Well, you certainly had me fooled."

Nicole grinned at him. "So why are you sitting in the hallway looking depressed anyway, Tom Smith?"

"Oh well… It's a long story that involves me confessing my love to a girl a barely know, then to my best friend, and finally to the girl who may be my soul mate, all in quick succession. And in the end I was rejected by all three."

"Wow, that's rough buddy."

"Tell me about it."

"I don't know _what _to tell you," said Nicole. She smirked and waved the Bereznoff puppet under Thomas's nose. Her voice dropped into the low gravelly tone she used when cosplaying as Nekozawa, _"Want me to curse them for you?"_

Thomas laughed despite himself and pushed the doll out of his face, "No thanks. I don't think cursing them is going to help my situation."

Nicole smiled and looked at her puppet. She was toying with it absently as she continued to talk. "I've basically been stalking your group over the past few days. It was a lot of fun to watch you guys interact with the other cosplayers, but you were _especially_ entertaining. All I can say for certain is that you're certainly a charmer, and I'm sure winning hearts is not going to be a problem for you."

"You think so?" Thomas asked, his tone slightly more hopeful. Her flattery had easily pierced through his moroseness, and like Tamaki, he was quick to recover.

Nicole hummed to herself and lifted a hand to her chin. She was the picture of deep thought as she said, "But maybe that's exactly your problem. If you act like a prince to every girl you meet, then how is one to know if she's special to you?"

This jab sent Thomas back into his despair. Hopeless again, he laughed bitterly, "Maybe you're right. Maybe the truth is that I've never really been in love!"

"Nah, I think you've just been reading too much shojo manga." Nicole said lightly as she jumped to her feet. She held her hand out toward Thomas and smiled, "It's given you a twisted sense of how relationships are supposed to be."

Thomas smiled back. He couldn't help it. Nicole's carefree attitude was both surprising and infectious. He accepted her hand.

"So what will you do now?" Nicole asked as they walked down the hall of the hotel together.

"I'm going to go home with my friends and start planning for the next convention! Will you be attending Kana-Con next year?"

"Absolutely! Though you might not recognize me. I may be in disguise again."

"I'll find you." Thomas remarked with the same easy manner Nicole used in her speech, "Or you'll find me. Whichever comes first."

"I'm looking forward to it, Tom Smith."


	54. Section 86: The Host Club

I uploaded the first chapter of Oswego High School Host club in April of 2010. 3 years, 54 chapters, and 86 sections later, it's finally done. I'm really amazed that the story made it this far, and at the same time I know that I never would have finished it without all the great support I've had.

I'd like to thank everyone who has read this story since the very beginning. Thanks for sticking with me, even when I failed to update for months on end. And to everyone who has contributed their awesome reviews, thanks again! I really enjoyed reading them.

And now I hope you will enjoy the final chapter of Oswego High School Host Club. Happy reading. ~ jinxauthor

* * *

Section 86: Endings and Beginnings

"So, we have plans to visit Mr. Tetsuya next weekend. Don't you dare forget."

Tyler looked at Michael curiously, though he shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "Sure, I got no objections. But why the sudden interest in the wise one? I practically had to drag you to meet him before."

Michael attempted to look casual, even though he knew Tyler would see right through him. "Well, Riko said she'd be visiting her grandfather next weekend. And I thought…"

"Ah-ha! I knew it had to be something! You're not interested in seeing Mr. Tetsuya! You just want to hang out with his granddaughter again!"

"Well, is there anything wrong with that? Riko already said she's fine with it. In fact, she invited me! And you like Mr. Tetsuya anyway so…"

"Aww! You guys are just so cute making your little date at the old folk's home! Don't worry, Mr. Tetsuya and I will be great chaperones!"

"Shut up! It isn't like that! And we don't need chaperones!"

Michael took a swing at Tyler, who was actually able to dodge from the simple fact that he was so much bigger than Michael. Using his superior arm length to grip on to Michael, he proceeded to put the smaller boy into a headlock. But Michael was surprisingly agile, and he had soon twisted out of Tyler's grip. In no time at all they were mock-wrestling in the middle of the lobby, their friends and convention guests watching them in amusement.

"Freya, quick!" Tyler called. "Help me subdue this violent killing machine!"

Freya had just brought her luggage down from her room. Maintaining a safe distance from their grapple, she placed her bags next to theirs.

"No thanks. I think I'll stay out of this."

Tyler waved off Michael with pleas of surrender. He was only able to escape after pledging a rematch, but once his freedom was secured he was at Freya side in an instant, smiling down at her as was his custom.

"Rough morning?"

"No, not at all. Why do you ask?"

"You just have this funny look on your face. Like you've got something on your mind."

"Not really. Nothing's wrong. I just had a very strange conversation, but that's all."

"Want to talk about it?"

The corners of Freya's mouth tipped up slightly. "No, it's fine. Just… I'm glad things are getting back to normal."

"Really?" Tyler said. Freya couldn't be sure, but it seemed like his smiled faltered for just a split-second. "I don't want to go back. I wish it didn't have to end."

"Ugh!" Michael suddenly exclaimed from behind the pair. "Listen to you! And you have the nerve to make fun of me and Riko? Just what the hell do you think you're doing with Freya, huh?"

To Michael's surprise, Tyler actually blushed. He could possibly have a sense of shame after all. But either Freya was very dense, or she just chose to ignore his embarrassment. Instead, she waved to Regina's entourage as they approached the group.

Kyle wasn't the only male trailing behind the diehard Lolitas. Henry walked next to him, anxiously staring over his shoulder at his brother. Keith had waved Henry away when he spotted Chris in the lobby. Leaving his brother's side, he had marched toward Chris with a look of determination that the older boy found both highly amusing and slightly intimidating.

Face to face now and conscious of the ever-protective twin brother only yards away, Chris set his bags on the floor and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, what is it?"

"I have something for you," Keith said without preamble. He lifted his hand and presented the infamous yaoi paddle. Chris looked down at it, trying to hold back his laughter, and noticed that Keith had written his name and phone number onto the handle in black sharpie.

"To think you would write your name on something like this," Chris said with a chuckle. "But I'm not going to call you."

Keith looked mortified. He tried to keep his voice from sounding whiney when he asked "Why not?"

"… It's just not really my style."

"Then take it as something to remember me by," Keith insisted. He seemed completely serious.

Chris shook his head, but he accepted the gift all the same. Setting the paddle on top of one of his suitcases, he reached for a small black artist's portfolio. "I have something for you, too."

"Really?"

"I promised you a picture, didn't I?"

He handed a sheet of paper to Keith. The sketch was quickly rendered in nothing more than black pen, but still the effect was amazing. Chris had drawn a portrait of Sebastian using his own style – harsh lines that managed to capture the energy of his subject as well as the form. And at the bottom of the page underneath his signature a small phone number had been written.

"But this is…"

"I said I wouldn't call you. I never said you couldn't call me."

Keith looked up from the page and stared Chris in the eye. "Come to the convention next year."

"No."

"Why?"

"I told you I don't like anime."

"Don't come for that. Come to the convention and see me next year."

"I won't do it."

"Why are you being so stubborn? Come and see me. I'll be eighteen next year."

"You… Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Say you'll come."

Chris had been perfectly in control since their conversation began. Admittedly, he was a wary of doing anything impulsive with Henry so close. He didn't relish the idea of Keith's twin stepping in with fists swinging. He really didn't need that kind of trouble. But watching the play of emotions across Keith's face as he pleaded with him was too much for any man to bear. So with a smile and an "Oh, what the hell?" mentality, he allowed his careful control to slip.

When Chris suddenly reached out with the reflexes of a snake and pulled Keith against him, Keith hardly understood what had happened. All petulant argument dissipated into breathlessness as he realized the sort of position they were in. While one of Chris's arms was wrapped around his waist, his hand had moved toward the back of Keith's head. Chris gently pulled on Keith's hair to tilt his head back and stare down into his face.

For a moment, Chris simply enjoyed the look of mixed alarm and anticipation on Keith's face. He leaned forward, teasing Keith with his closeness. But when Keith responded by leaning further into him and tilting his face up as if to receive a kiss, Chris pulled away with a soft chuckle.

"Fine. You've convinced me. I'll see you at the next convention, and not a day sooner."

He released Keith with a sudden motion that made Keith stumble, then he gathered his bags and moved away without further comment. Almost as an afterthought, he called over his shoulder, "See you next year!"

Keith's heart was hammering. He buried his face in his hands for a moment until he felt like he was under control again. Then, ignoring the enormous sense of loss he felt at Chris's parting and the frustration that he hadn't received the kiss he'd wanted, he made his way to Henry. He just prayed his brother hadn't seen anything.

He was in luck. Henry had become engrossed in a conversation with Hilary. His only comment once Keith returned was, "I guess it's finally over, huh?"

Keith smiled with relief, then he sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You know, I'm actually kinda bummed."

"What are you so upset about?" Keith motioned toward Henry and Hilary's clasped hands, "At least you got a girlfriend out of all this. What have I got?"

"Quit complaining both of you!" Tyler shouted, swinging his bag over the twin's heads, "You both had fun and you know it!"

""No one said we didn't have fun!"" shouted Henry and Keith as they ducked. They hadn't quite managed to stop speaking in unison.

"All I'm saying is, I can't believe it's actually over." Henry said.

"Yeah," added Keith, "Months of preparation for only three days? It's too short!"

"Fear not! I've already got plans for next year!" Thomas exclaimed. His entrance was so sudden and explosive that all attention was devoted to him as he went into full-blown exposition mode.

"I started reading a new manga series, and I tell you I can't put it down! So it hits me! These characters would be just perfect for our group! I felt such a connection to Asuka Masamune's love of cute, girly things and shojo manga! Truly we are kindred spirits! Of course, Kyle would have to be the severe Hajime Tonomine, so long as he doesn't mind dying his hair black again. Michael would be adorable as Yamato and I could just see Tyler as Kitora now! Of course, Hilary would have to be Asuka's love interest, Ryo Miyakozuka…"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Henry interrupted, the spell of Thomas's posturing broken, "Where do you get off thinking you can make my girlfriend you character's love interest?!"

"But Hilary's the only one who can play Ryo!" Thomas shouted back.

"Yeah?! And who are Keith and I supposed to be in this little fantasy of yours?"

"Well… One of you can be Juta and the other… Uh…"

"I knew it! You don't have characters for us! Don't you dare think you can leave us out of your plans next year!"

"Thomas I'm surprised at you!" Regina chimed in, "You better not be thinking about leaving me out again! I'm definitely joining your group next year! And I refuse to be supporting cast!"

"If you try to make me someone cute again next year I'll break your legs!" Michael threatened.

Thomas turned to Kyle in desperation. "I could use a little support here."

"Sorry, Tom, but I'm not really interested in cosplaying shojo manga again," Kyle replied as he coolly adjusted his glasses, "But then we have a whole year to discuss alternatives."

"Yeah, that's right!" Tyler exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air and drawing the attention of passersby, "I don't want to stop hanging out with you guys just because the con's over. And I'll be graduating at the end of the year… We gotta make sure we stay in touch somehow!"

Thomas was surprised to hear this from Tyler of all people. "You really feel that way?"

"We all do," Keith said with a smile, "It's been too much fun."  
"I'm so glad…" Thomas started to say, but he was interrupted by Kyle.

"I'm so glad you're all in agreement," he said with a sly smile, "Because I think I have a solution for us."

Regina stepped forward and took Kyle's hand timidly. She still acted as if she were shy around him. "What do you mean? Can't we just keep meeting at Thomas's house?"

"We could, but I would hate to impose on his parents' hospitality any more than we already have. And if we're going to be busy with all of this preparation and debate, then I think we might require a little more… space."

"What did you have in mind?" Henry asked.

"It's come to my attention that they're moving the orchestra room to the first floor. Apparently students were tired of carrying their cellos up the stairs. So staring next year, there will be a large abandoned room just waiting to be used as club space."

"A club?" Henry asked, "But what kind of club would we be? The Prince Thomas Fan Club?"

Keith laughed, "Right, or the Society of Convention Enthusiasts?"

"No, no! The Organization of Advanced Cosplaying!"

"The Brotherhood of the Travelling Yukata!"

The twins were leaning on each other to prevent from falling on the floor with laughter, but Kyle kept his serious smile. "I was thinking of something like Host Club."

The brothers gradually stopped snickering as Kyle's suggestion slowly sank in.

"Of course." Thomas said with his own satisfied smile, "We'll be the Host Club."

"It would be a good venue to work out different cosplay ideas." Kyle continued, "We could even gauge the reaction of our peers to see which is the most popular. And by entertaining guests there would be no reason why we couldn't earn a small profit to use for our trip to Kana-Con next year."

"Kyle, you're a genius!" Thomas cried as he leaped toward his friend and wrapped both arms around his neck. Still hanging on, he partially turned toward the rest of the group, "What do you think? Will you all stay on as members of the host club?"

Michael sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'll be starting high school next fall, so I guess it won't be too much of a hassle to go to your dumb club. So long as I can play video games there, I have no complaints. Oh yeah, and I refuse to eat any more cake."

"Count us in," said Henry.

"Yeah, so long as it doesn't interfere with practice, we'll be there," Keith added.

Tyler slipped his hand into Freya's. "I'll come too. I mean, I can always drop in when I don't have class. No big deal."

Freya looked down at their interwoven fingers. She didn't seem to mind holding his hand in the least. "Well, if you're going to the trouble… Then I suppose I can walk over to Oswego High once a week."

"Well I am certainly not going to be left out." Regina's words had a double meaning, as she had finally pushed Thomas away from her boyfriend. "If Freya's going then we'll go together."

Thomas turned toward one last person, "Hilary?"

She grinned at him, her expression full of the enthusiasm they both shared. "Duh, of course I'm coming. Sounds to me like you could use some of the drama department's expertise."

"So it's settled!" Thomas exclaimed as he threw his arms into the air and gathered his friends around him, "We'll start a club!"

* * *

On the top floor of the south wing… At the end of the hallway… An abandoned orchestra room.

Open the door and you'll find… The Oswego High School Host Club!

- The End -


End file.
